Mork Family

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Professor David Tirrell
California Institute of Technology

Sponsored by:
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1he geneLlc code, elucldaLed ln Lhe 1960s Lhrough Lhe work of nlrenberg, Cchoa, khorana
and Lhelr coworkers, provldes a seL of molecular lnsLrucLlons for LranslaLlng nuclelc aclds
lnLo proLelns. Codons are asslgned Lo amlno aclds Lhrough hlgh-fldellLy charglng of
Lransfer 8nAs, and Lhrough accuraLe base-palrlng beLween charged L8nAs and messenger
8nA. Cver Lhe lasL decade, cells have been ouLflLLed wlLh modlfled LranslaLlonal machlnery
LhaL enables Lhe parLlclpaLlon of an expanded seL of amlno aclds ln proLeln synLhesls.
1hese developmenLs have fosLered a more unlfled vlew of Lhe chemlsLry of naLural and
synLheLlc macromolecules, and provlded a basls for powerful new approaches Lo polymer
chemlsLry, proLeln deslgn, and proLeome-wlde analysls of cellular processes.
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35?#/ ;@ A#&&"BB ls Lhe 8oss McCollum-Wllllam P. Corcoran rofessor of ChemlsLry and Chemlcal Lnglneerlng,
and ulrecLor of Lhe 8eckman lnsLlLuLe, aL CalLech. 1lrrell was educaLed aL Ml1 and Lhe unlverslLy of
MassachuseLLs, where he earned hls h.u. for research done under Lhe supervlslon of CLLo vogl. 1lrrell
served as ulrecLor of Lhe MaLerlals 8esearch LaboraLory aL Lhe unlverslLy of MassachuseLLs before movlng
Lo CalLech ln 1998. Pe served as chalrman of Lhe ulvlslon of ChemlsLry and Chemlcal Lnglneerlng aL CalLech
from 1999 unLll 2009. 1lrrell's research lnLeresLs lle ln macromolecular chemlsLry and ln Lhe use of non-
canonlcal amlno aclds Lo englneer and probe proLeln behavlor. Pls conLrlbuLlons Lo Lhese flelds have been
recognlzed by hls elecLlon Lo Lhe naLlonal Academy of Sclences, Lhe naLlonal Academy of Lnglneerlng, Lhe
lnsLlLuLe of Medlclne, and Lhe Amerlcan Academy of ArLs and Sclences.
Monday, April 14, 2014
11 am
Gerontology Auditorium
Reception to follow outside the auditorium.
http://chems.usc.edu


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