They say you can鈥檛 go home again. Try telling that to 黑料吃瓜资源 (CSHL) Professor John Moses. The chemist recently returned to his hometown of Wrexham, a city in the northeast corner of Wales, near the country鈥檚 border with England. There, he received a hero鈥檚 welcome as he was awarded an from Wrexham University at the school鈥檚 2024 graduation ceremony.
Moses was acknowledged for his contributions to science. At CSHL, his team uses a revolutionary process called click chemistry to quickly and safely uncover sustainable sources for new synthetic compounds.
Back in Wales, Moses was proud to see his father in the audience for his acceptance speech. 鈥淕rowing up, people would often ask if I wanted to follow in my dad鈥檚 footsteps and become a builder,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hile I may not be building houses, I build molecules. You connect building blocks together with mortar to create structures, and I connect atoms with bonds to create molecules.鈥�
Click chemistry was pioneered by Moses鈥� mentor, two-time Nobel Prize winner K. Barry Sharpless. Today, it鈥檚 helping to lay the groundwork for drug discoveries at the CSHL Cancer Center. Some of the Moses lab鈥檚 recent accomplishments include synthesizing shape-shifting antibiotics that overpower drug-resistant bacteria and developing an eco-friendly source for an anticancer molecule that inhibits breast cancer.
鈥淐ongratulations on your hard-won achievements and perseverance,鈥� Moses said to the graduating class. 鈥淎s you move forward in life, carry with you the spirit of this city and University. Go and make the future.鈥�
Written by: Luis Sandoval, Communications Specialist | [email protected] | 516-367-6826