THOMAS W. O'BRIEN, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
College of Medicine , Health Science Center
Gainesville , Florida 32610-0245
Phone: (352) 392-6878
FAX: (352) 392-2953
Professor Thomas W. O'Brien earned his Ph.D. in physiology and biochemistry at Marquette University in 1964 for his work on the thyroid hormone control of mitochondrial content in mammals. He discovered mitochondrial ribosomes as a Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dr. G.F. Kalf. Dr. O'Brien joined our Department in 1966, and has continued studies to characterize mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes. His studies have shown that mammalian mitochondria contain ribosomes that differ structurally and functionally from other ribosomes. These ribosomes are products of two separate genomes, and they appear to be evolving more rapidly than other ribosomes. The discovery of ribosomes in mitochondria in Dr. O'Brien's laboratory foreshadowed the surprising diversity of ribosome types in nature.
He was a NATO Senior Science Fellow, a European Molecular Biology Organization
Research Fellow, a Visiting Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular
Genetics, Berlin, Germany, and a Visiting Scientist at the University of
California Santa Cruz. From 1980 to 1982 he was Interim Chairman of our
Department. From 1982 to 1989, he was founding co-Director of the
Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research. He is a member
of the Center for Mammalian Genetics and the Center for Structural Biology.
For more information on Curriculum vitae and expertise,
Go to the
Community of Science Page
O'Brien Laboratory: Room R2-237 in the Academic Research Building (ARB); the ARB links the Health Science Center to the Brain Institute
Office: Room R2-295 (ARB) in the wing nearest the Health Center
Library
For more information on Research Projects and
Little known interesting, if not fascinating facts about Mitochondrial Ribosomes
Go to the Thomas
W. O'Brien Home Page
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