Dr. David Thomas

David Thomas, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, is one of Canada's foremost molecular cell biologists. He has used the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiaeto achieve fundamental insights into how eukaryotic cells function. His work has included the discovery of mitochondrial DNA recombination, the proof that beta and gamma subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins can activate downstream effector members of signaling pathways, and the discovery of Ste20p, the founding member of the GTPase activated kinase family. In collaboration with Howard Bussey he identified Kex1p, a protease involved in the secretion of signaling peptides; subsequent collaborations with colleagues allowed him to determine the crystal structure of this carboxypeptidase. In collaboration with John Bergeron, he uncovered the chaperone calnexin, involved in quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum. Thomas has ensured that these scientific advances have had practical applications.