Richard Marc Losick ( ; born 1943) is an American

molecular biologist Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

. He is the Maria Moors Cabot Professor of Biology at Harvard University, a

Howard Hughes Medical Institute The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is an American non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded in 1953 by Howard Hughes, an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, engineer, fil ...

Professor. He is especially noted for his investigations of

endospore An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form (''endo'' means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., no ...

formation in

Gram positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. Gram-positive bact ...

organisms such as '' Bacillus subtilis''.

Education and career

Losick received his AB in Chemistry from Princeton University in 1965, and his PhD in biochemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1969. Following his graduate studies, Losick was named a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows. He joined the Harvard faculty in 1972. He has held the position of chairman in the Departments of Cellular and Developmental Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology. Along with Daniel Kahne,

Robert Lue Robert A. Lue (23 May 1964 – 11 November 2020) was a researcher and an academic. On 1 March 2013, he became the inaugural Richard L. Menschel Faculty Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University. He was forme ...

, and Susan Mango, he teaches Life Sciences 1a, an introductory biology and

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

course, which was the fourth largest lecture course taught at Harvard College in 2015.

Research

Losick's research interests include

RNA polymerase In molecular biology, RNA polymerase (abbreviated RNAP or RNApol), or more specifically DNA-directed/dependent RNA polymerase (DdRP), is an enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a DNA template. Using the enzyme helicase, RNAP locally opens the ...

sigma factor A sigma factor (σ factor or specificity factor) is a protein needed for initiation of transcription in bacteria. It is a bacterial transcription initiation factor that enables specific binding of RNA polymerase (RNAP) to gene promoters. It is ho ...

s, regulation of gene transcription, and bacterial development. He is known for his studies of asymmetric division in '' Bacillus subtilis'', which divides to form one

and one nurturing cell. Currently, Losick studies biofilm formation by the opportunistic pathogen ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

''. His research group has demonstrated that chromosomal DNA is recycled to form an electrostatic extracellular net in order to hold neighboring bacterial cells together.

Awards and honors

* Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation (1973) * Member,

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

(1992) * Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1996) * Member,

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

(1998) * Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (elected prior to 2000) * Visiting Fellow, Phi Beta Kappa (2000) * Member, American Philosophical Society (2005) *

Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology The Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "in recognition of excellence in the field of microbiology." Named after Selman Waksman, it was first awarded in 1968. A $5000 prize is included in t ...

, National Academy of Sciences (2007) * Gairdner Foundation International Award (2009) * Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, Columbia University (2012)

References

External links

Research Summary & Profile
Harvard University

on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute site Living people 1943 births Princeton University alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni Harvard University faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Howard Hughes Medical Investigators Place of birth missing (living people) Members of the American Philosophical Society {{US-biologist-stub