The exceptional caliber of scientists at Amgen is evident not only in the groundbreaking research they conduct, but also in where they train. A number of the company’s researchers come from the labs of prestigious scientists, including Nobel laureates, bringing a wealth of knowledge and pioneering experience with them.
Christy Tinberg, who leads Amgen’s Protein Design Group, not only trained in a laureate’s lab, but was cited in this year’s Chemistry Nobel Prize write-up. She even had the opportunity to attend the Nobel celebrations in Stockholm on December 10.
Christy Tinberg at the 2024 Nobel Lectures.
From 2010–2015, Tinberg was a postdoc at the University of Washington in the lab of David Baker, the 2024 Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry. Her first-author paper, "Computational design of ligand-binding proteins with high affinity and selectivity," published in Nature in 2013, marked a significant milestone in the field of computational protein design. This research described a novel computational method for designing proteins that can bind to small molecules with high precision.
Tinberg's work demonstrated how proteins could be created from scratch to bind tightly to target small molecules and has potential applications for diagnostics and drug development. This innovative approach highlights the importance of computational tools in creating custom-designed proteins that can serve various medical and biotechnological purposes.
There are many other researchers at Amgen who have trained in prestigious labs. Here’s a brief list of some of the Nobel laureates and Amgen employees who have trained under them:
Christy Tinberg with members of the Discovery Protein Science cloning team.
David Baker, the 2024 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, who trained Tinberg also trained Shane Caldwell, principal scientist in the Protein Design Group, and Robert Vernon, associate director of Data Sciences. Vernon helped create an open-source protein language model known as AMPLIFY that has the potential to accelerate protein research and drug discovery. Baker won for his work in computational protein design, an important tool in protein drug design today.
David MacMillan, the 2021 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, trained Kate Ashton, associate director in Medicinal Chemistry, Jim Falsey, principal scientist in Complex Biologics, and Chris Borths, director in Operations. Catalysts help accelerate chemical reactions and are important for the construction of molecules. MacMillan developed asymmetric organocatalysts that can specifically build one of two mirror image versions of a molecule, an important application in pharmaceutical research.
Bob Lefkowitz, the 2012 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, trained Bob Stoffel, vice president of Research in Rare Disease. Lefkowitz won for his studies of G-protein-coupled receptors. Approximately half of all medications used today make use of this kind of receptor.
Brian Kobilka, the 2012 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, trained Xiaojie (Helen) Yao, senior principal scientist in the Biologic Discovery group. Kobilka won with Lefkowitz for studies of G-protein-coupled receptors. Approximately half of all medications used today make use of this kind of receptor.
Randy Schekman, the 2013 Physiology or Medicine Nobel Prize winner, trained Ray Deshaies, senior vice president in Research Operations, and Jason Lam, principal scientist in the Biologics & Protein Technologies group. Schekman won for the discovery of a major cellular transport system. This work informs research on protein transport, a key component and potential therapeutic target for many diseases.
Kurt Wutrich, the 2002 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, trained Tatiana Didenko, principal scientist in the Lead Discovery & Characterization group, and Didenko’s spouse Jeff Liu, senior scientist in the Discovery Proteomics group. Wutrich won for developing nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the compositions and structures of molecules, important in drug development.
Amgen benefits immensely from scientists trained by Nobel laureates and other top experts. These mentors provide key knowledge and techniques that become valuable assets for the company. Such high-level training helps drive breakthroughs, pushing Amgen's research and development initiatives forward. By connecting with such world-class talent, Amgen is able to strengthen its position as a leader in scientific innovation and excellence.
