Biochemical Journal Young Investigator Award winner

Daryl E. Klein

Daryl E. Klein is finishing his combined MD/PhD at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine this May. While there he worked in the laboratory of Dr Mark A. Lemmon to elucidate the precise mechanism of a natural protein inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Daryl's work is summarized in two Nature papers that describe how the secreted EGFR inhibitor Argos acts by sequestering EGFR activating ligands. The crystal structure he solved of the complex between Argos and its ligand revealed that Argos mimics many of the receptor-ligand interactions found in the structure of human EGFR bound to EGF. The structure also allowed the identification of several human proteins that have a similar fold and that may function by binding to EGF domains. Daryl is a former Fulbright Fellow and is a recipient of the Harold M. Weintraub Graduate Student Award and the Roy G. Williams Award. Daryl's graduate work was supported by the DOD (BCRP), NIH (MSTP) and NSF (EAPSI).