New England Biolabs^® Chief Scientific Officer Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Sir Richard Roberts joins 120 new members elected to the academy in 2023

Ipswich, Mass., (June 7th, 2023) – Today, New England Biolabs (NEB^®) announced that Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize winner and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at NEB, has been inducted into the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a private, nonprofit society of distinguished scientific scholars committed to furthering science and scientific research in the USA. Scientists elected to NAS are selected by their peers based on their exceptional contributions in research.

“I’ve been very fortunate to witness my research contribute to our evolving understanding of the life sciences over the course of my career,” said Roberts. “I continue to be humbled and motivated by the impact scientists can have – particularly when we work collectively and choose to help others.”

Roberts was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993 for his contribution to the discovery of introns in eukaryotic DNA and the mechanism of gene splicing, which allows a gene to code for multiple proteins. Roberts was also instrumental in isolating most of the world’s first known restriction enzymes. He served as a consultant and chairman of NEB’s scientific advisory board from 1975 and joined the company as CSO in 1992.

“We’re proud to see Rich recognized for his profound impact on the study and applications of molecular biology, and we’re thankful for the integral role he has played at the company as a visionary scientist, leader and mentor” said Salvatore Russello, NEB’s CEO “NEB’s investment in basic research ensures we stay connected to our customers and drives scientific breakthroughs. Rich has been instrumental in the success of our program.”

At NEB, Roberts works alongside Tom Evans, NEB’s Executive Director of Research, to guide the company’s research program. Roberts’ current research focus is on using bioinformatics to drive enzyme discovery, combined with the experimental testing of enzyme function. Collectively, NEB scientists have authored over 1,450 publications to date, on topics that include understanding DNA enzyme structure and function, protein expression and modification, chemical biology, parasitology, and genome and RNA biology.

A full list of newly elected NAS members can be seen here .

About New England Biolabs

Established in the mid 1970s, New England Biolabs, Inc. is the industry leader in the discovery and production of enzymes for molecular biology applications and now offers the largest selection of recombinant and native enzymes for genomic research. NEB continues to expand its product offerings into areas related to PCR, gene expression, sample preparation for next generation sequencing, synthetic biology, glycobiology, epigenetics, and RNA analysis. Additionally, NEB is focused on strengthening alliances that enable new technologies to reach key market sectors, including molecular diagnostics, clinical sequencing, and nucleic acid-based therapeutics and vaccines, and also offers a series of product customization services, including lyophilization. New England Biolabs is a privately held company, headquartered in Ipswich, MA, USA, and has extensive worldwide distribution through a network of exclusive distributors, agents and subsidiaries located in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK. For more information about New England Biolabs visit www.neb.com.

NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS^® and NEB^® are registered trademarks of New England Biolabs, Inc.

Media Contact:

Deana D. Martin, Ph.D.
Director, Marketing Communications
New England Biolabs
240 County Road Ipswich, MA 01938
Tel: 978-380-7464
Email: martin@neb.com