Chemist Smith to lead campus genome center

Lloyd Smith, a professor of chemistry and an early pioneer in the field of DNA sequencing, has been named director of the Genome Center of Wisconsin, a UW–Madison facility devoted to the exploration of plant and animal genomes.

A UW–Madison faculty member since 1987, Smith is well known for his work to develop the sequencing technology that made mapping the genetic landscape of humans and other organisms possible. He is also a co-founder of Third Wave Technologies, Inc., one of Wisconsin’s hottest biotech companies.

Smith succeeds Fred Blattner, a UW–Madison professor of genetics and a giant in the field of DNA sequencing and genomics. Blattner led the UW–Madison effort to sequence the E. coli bacterium, one of the first organisms to have its genome – the entire sequence of chemical units that make up its DNA – read and recorded.

“Fred’s legacy here is tremendous,” says Biotechnology Center director Michael Sussman. “His enthusiasm and endless energy helped the center establish itself and flourish, and he played a critical role in helping to educate the Wisconsin legislature and administration as we were seeking support for the BioStar initiative.”

As a protégé of Leroy Hood at Cal Tech, Smith was the primary developer of the first fluorescence-based automated DNA sequencing instrument in the early 1980s. Subsequent generations of sequencers were the workhorse instruments that enabled biologists to map the genomes – the complete set of genetic instructions – for humans, E. coli, the mouse, the fruit fly, and other organisms.

“We’re very excited and enthusiastic about Lloyd taking the helm,” says Sussman. “He has excellent skills in bringing people together and we expect that the Genome Center will continue to flourish and grow with Lloyd’s help and leadership.” Sussman says one area of anticipated growth for the university will be in the nascent field of proteomics, the study of the function and structural relationships between proteins which themselves are the products of genes.

In the post-genomic era, such new endeavors will become increasingly important and UW–Madison must be poised to exploit the opportunities that will emerge on the broad front of modern biology and biotechnology, says interim Graduate School Dean Martin Cadwallader.

“We’re excited to have the kind of leadership that Lloyd Smith brings to this program. His background as a scholar and innovator in biotechnology, and his understanding of the needs of the community of biologists here, will help us maintain our position as a leader in this field.”

The Genome Center is part of the Biotechnology Center and Smith, who has served for many years on the Biotechnology Center’s Advisory Board, and most recently as chair of that group, will continue to serve in a leadership role within the Biotechnology Center itself, Sussman says.

The Biotechnology Center has assumed a central role on campus through its core user facilities such as its DNA Sequencing Facility that provides centralized instrumentation and technical services for more than 200 labs on campus. Additional facilities at the Center include those devoted to DNA synthesis, peptide synthesis, transgenic animal and plants, DNA ‘chips’ (gene expression) and, most recently, mass spectrometry/proteomics.

Sussman says Smith’s recent innovative research on mass spectrometers will help the Biotechnology Center develop related instrumentation that can be used for genome-style projects.

Moreover, Sussman says, Smith will help provide added leadership for the Biotechnology Center and will work with faculty and staff to develop new areas of scholarly research and to help Wisconsin companies gain access to the intellectual resources of the Madison campus.