Dr. Max Summers (PhD '68) Receives
'Father of Baculovirus Expression Technology' Award
Discover Entomology
Texas A&M University
February 19, 2009
The pioneer and co-inventor of the most innovative technology
in the life sciences field was recognized with an organization’s
highest award during a recent conference in San Antonio.
Dr. Max
D. Summers, Distinguished Professor and Holder of the Endowed Chair
in Agricultural Biotechnology, received the "Father of Baculovirus
Expression Technology" Award during the WilBio 12th International
Conference on Baculovirus and Insect Cell Culture on February 2-4.
The research performed in the laboratory of Max Summers pioneered
the development of the Baculovirus Expression Vector System, or
BEVS, which results in the safe, abundant and rapid production
of recombinant proteins in insect cells and insects [US Patent
No. 4,745,051: Method for Producing a Recombinant baculovirus Expression
Vector; Granted May 17, 1988 (Smith/Summers)].
This system was
developed from basic studies of a pathogenic insect virus and was
the result of the identification, cloning and genetic engineering
of a baculovirus gene that expresses abundant quantities of a viral-encoded
protein in infected insect cells.
The BEVS represents a core technology
that has greatly facilitated the understanding of many proteins
from species that span the life sciences. The virus and recombinant
protein production in insect cells or insects provide a safe environment
to produce products on a large scale. The BEVS is a discovery with
very broad enabling applications and impact spanning the basic
life sciences and biotechnology.
It has become a core technology
for: 1) the cloning and expression of genes for study of protein
structure, processing and function; 2) the production of biochemical
reagents; 3) the study of regulation of gene expression; 4) the
commercial exploration, development and production of vaccines,
therapeutics and diagnostics; 5) drug discovery research; 6) the
exploration and development of safe, selective and environmentally
compatible bio-pesticides consistent with sustainable agriculture.
An example of the application and efficiency of the BEVs was the
rapid development of an experimental vaccine to the deadly Hong
Kong “bird-flu” virus (HSN1): NIH requested the development of
a vaccine and Protein Sciences (a company that specializes in BEVS
technology) delivered 1700 doses of an experimental vaccine in
eight weeks.
This included the time to identify, sequence and clone
the gene responsible for the flu symptoms. The vaccine was a success.
The efficiency, low cost and large-scale production of proteins
using BEVS represents breakthrough technology that is now facilitating
development of the next generation of vaccines and therapeutic
reagents.
The BEVS is also being used widely in drug discovery
and the development of protein crystals of medically important
proteins. Expression of proteins using this technology is consistent
with high-throughput proteomic studies and produces most proteins
in their biologically active conformation.
With the knowledge of
the 3-dimensional structure, precise design of drugs that will
act as ‘magic bullets' for the intervention of many diseases states
is currently underway both in the private sector and academia.
The broad acceptance of this technology by the scientific community
is reflected in the determination by The Institute of Scientific
Information that Dr. Summers is one of the top 250 most highly
cited microbiologists in the world. The Houston Intellectual Property
Law Association honored him in 1999 as Inventor of the Year.
Max
Summers received an A.B. degree in biology in 1962 from Wilmington
College and a PhD in entomology from Purdue University in 1968.
Dr. Summers was an Assistant and an Associate Professor of Botany
at the University of Texas before moving to Texas A&M as a
Professor of Entomology. He has authored or co-authored more than
170 publications and trained more than 50 Doctoral and Post-Doctoral
students. Indeed, one features of the Conference where Dr. Summers
received his award was the recognition that many of his students
have gone on to become leaders in Biomedical Research and their
discoveries have had substantial impact upon the research and medical
community.
Dr. Summers is a member of the National Academy of Sciences
and served as Chair of Class VI. He is a Fellow in the American
Academy of Microbiology, Fellow of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science and is past-president of the American
Society for Virology. Dr. Summers is also a member of the Entomological
Society of American Foundation Board of Councilors and is currently
on the Board of Directors of the Texas Academy of Sciences, Engineering
and Medicine.
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