About Simon

Interests and Skills
http://simon.simonscientific.com/home/TMO_large.jpg
I am an inorganic/physical chemist whose career has focused on the function of metals in biology as well as in catalysis and materials science.  I have studied these using a range of physical techniques like spectroscopy, electrochemistry and kinetics. I am a leading expert in the application of infrared (IR) spectroscopy to biological systems and I am an experienced EPR and synchrotron X-ray (EXAFS, Soft X-ray and XMCD) spectroscopist with over half my publications involving these techniques.  Much of my work has involved the development of novel instrumentation for this work as well as software tools for instrument control and the analysis of complex data.

http://simon.simonscientific.com/home/SF-FTIR%20Temp%20Large.jpg
My interest and enjoyment in working in biological chemistry stems not only from its relevance (it’s about life!) or its huge potential applications (in biotechnology, agriculture, bioinspired industrial catalysis, novel materials and so forth).  It's also because these problems are often technically challenging as experimental materials are often impure, severely limited in quantity and dilute in the metal of interest.  The field has responded by developing a diverse range of sensitive physical techniques, and I very much enjoy working with and developing these as they provide their own challenges.  I also like the interdisciplinary nature of the subject as it draws on the all the main branches of physical science (chemistry, physics, biology) as well as aspects of engineering, making a scientifically diverse and exciting working environment.

These web pages summarize my main research themes and experience:

•  Research (Academic)     

Career Summary
Employment and Appointments
2015 - Present  Consultant and Owner, Simon Scientific, Berkeley CA
2010 - 2014       Full Project Scientist: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, CA
2002 - 2010       Scientist: Physical Biosciences / Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA
1999 - 2006       Honorary Lecturer (Honorary Faculty): University of East Anglia, Norwich UK
1998 - 2003       Senior Scientist: Department of Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich UK
1994 - 1998       Scientist: Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Norwich UK
1993 - 1998       Consultant: Structural Molecular Biology, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Menlo Park CA
1991 - 1994       Assistant Researcher: Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis CA
1990 - 1991       Scientist: National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton NY
1988 - 1991       Staff Chemist: School of Chemical Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

Education
1986 - 1988       SERC Post-Doctoral Fellow: School of Chemical Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich UK
1983 - 1986       Ph.D. in Chemistry: School of Chemical Sciences University of East Anglia, Norwich UK
                          Supervisor: Professor Andrew J. Thomson OBE FRS
1979 - 1983       B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry: University of London King's College, London UK


Publications and Citations
Statistics - August 2018
Simon J. George Publications and Citations
Articles: 92  Total Citations (Google Scholar): 4282  h-index: 42

Selected Publications
[89]  The HydG Enzyme Generates an Fe(CO)2(CN) Synthon in the Biosynthesis of the FeFe Hydrogenase H-Cluster
Kuchenreuther, J. M.; Myers, W. K.; Stich, T. A.; Suess, D. L. M.; Pelmentschikov, V.; Shiigi, S. A.; Cramer, S. P.; James R. Swartz, J. E.; Britt, R. D.; George, S. J.  Science 2014, 343, 424–427

[86]  A Radical Intermediate in Tyrosine Scission to the CO and CN− Ligands of [FeFe] Hydrogenase
Kuchenreuther, J. M.; Myers, W. K.; Stich, T. A.; George, S. J.; NejatyJahromy, Y.; Swartz, J. R.; Britt, R. D. Science 2013, 342, 472–475
 
[83]  EXAFS and NRVS Reveal a Conformational Distortion of the FeMo‑cofactor in the MoFe Nitrogenase Propargyl Alcohol Complex
George, S. J.; Barney B. M.; Mitra, D.; Guo, Y.; Igarashi, R. Y.; Dean, D. R.; Cramer, S. P.; Seefeldt, L. C.  J. Inorg. Biochem. 2012, 112, 85–92
 
[78]  Steric Control of the Hi-CO MoFe Nitrogenase Complex Revealed by Stopped-Flow Infra-red Spectroscopy
Yang, Z.-Y.; Seefeldt, L. C.; Dean, D. R.; Cramer, S. P.; George, S. J. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2011, 50, 272-275
 
[76]  Synchrotron X-ray analyses indicate phosphate-bound gadolinium in nephrogenic systemic fibrosis
George, S. J.; Webb, S. M.; Abraham, J. L.; Cramer, S. P. Brit. J. Dermatol., 2010, 163, 1077-1081
 
[59]  EPR and infrared spectroscopic evidence that a kinetically competent paramagnetic intermediate is formed when acetyl-coenzyme A synthase reacts with CO
George, S. J.; Seravalli, J.; Ragsdale, S. W. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 13500-13501
 
[26]  Copper L-edge spectral studies - a direct experimental probe of the ground-state covalency in the blue copper site in plastocyanin
George, S. J.; Lowery, M. D.; Solomon, E. I.; Cramer, S. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 2968-2969
 
[24]  Variable temperature magnetic circular dichroism
Thomson, A. J.; Cheesman, M. R.; George, S. J., in Meth. Enzymol. 1993, 225, 199-232
 
[18]  Identification and characterization of zinc binding sites in protein kinase C
Hubbard, S. R.; Bishop, W. R.; Kirschmeier, P.; George, S. J.; Cramer, S. P.; Hendrickson, W. A. Science 1991, 254, 1776-1779

[10]  Electrochemical and spectroscopic characterization of the conversion of the 7Fe into the 8Fe Form of ferredoxin III from Desulfovibrio africanus - identification of a [4Fe-4S] cluster with one non-cysteine ligand
George, S. J.; Armstrong, F. A.; Hatchikian, E. C.; Thomson, A. J. Biochem. J. 1989, 264, 275-284


Latest Update: 13 August 2018
Page maintained by Simon J. George (simon@simonscientific.com)