Thomas A. Bickle

Thomas A. Bickle

Thomas A. Bickle 2002
Nationality British, Swiss
Fields Microbiologist
Institutions University of Geneva, University of California, Davis, Biozentrum University of Basel

Thomas Anthony Bickle is a British/Swiss microbiologist.

Life

Thomas A. Bickle studied biology at the University of Geneva. He completed his doctorate in1972 at the University of California at Davis and subsequently worked there as an assistant. The following year he moved to the Biozentrum at the University of Basel on an EMBO Long-Term Fellowship. Here he was appointed in1980 to associate professor and in 1990 to full professor.[1] In addition to his duties in research and teaching, he served as Chairman of the Biozentrum[2] and as Dean of the Faculty of Science. He reached emeritus status in 2005.[3]

Work

Thomas A. Bickle mainly investigated the mode of action of bacterial DNA restriction and modification systems. These systems protect bacteria from being invaded by foreign DNA, either free or packaged in bacterial viruses. So-called restriction enzymes (endonucleases) recognize foreign DNA and inactivate these through endonucleolytic cleavage. In Escherichia coli Bickle elucidated the precise method used by these enzymes to distinguish between their own and foreign DNA, He identified the DNA recognition sequences of various restriction enzymes and investigated their structure. Furthermore, he demonstrated that many bacterial viruses have evolved diverse defense mechanisms to avoid restriction.[4]

Awards & Honors

References

  1. ↑ Thomas Bickle in the Biozentrum Biennial Report 2004-2005
  2. ↑ Thomas Bickle in the List of former chairs of the Biozentrum
  3. ↑ Biozentrum emeriti webpage
  4. ↑ Bacteriophage Survival: Multiple Mechanisms for Avoiding the Deoxyribonucleic Acid Restriction Systems of Their Hosts
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