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Donald G. Comb Honorary Lectureship

Don Comb founded New England Biolabs in the mid-1970’s, with the advancement of science and stewardship of the environment as its highest priorities. To honor his work, NEB has established the annual Donald G. Comb Honorary Lectureship series. The scientists chosen as the Donald G. Comb Honorary Lecturer must exemplify qualities valued by NEB: a passion for science, broad collaboration, mentorship of the next generation, and an aim to make fundamental scientific discoveries and then apply that knowledge to broadly impact life science research.

Each lecturer is invited to visit the NEB Ipswich Campus to share their work and meet with the NEB community. In 2019, Eva Nogales of the University of California, Berkeley presented a lecture entitled, “Structure and dynamics of macromolecular complexes using cryo-EM”. In 2023, Jo Handelsman of the University of Wisconsin, Madison presented a lecture entitled, “Finding THOR’s Hammer: Multiomics search for the driver of a microbial community”. In 2025, Carolyn Bertozzi of Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute presented a lecture entitled, “Bioorthogonal Chemistry: From Basic Science to Clinical Translation”.


Don Comb Lectureship photo
Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi's research spans the disciplines of chemistry and biology with a focus on cell surface sugars (termed glycans) and their implications in health and human disease. Dr. Bertozzi was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her development of “bioorthoganal chemistry” – chemical reactions that can take place within living systems without disrupting natural biochemical processes. Her research group has used this groundbreaking approach to significantly advance the field of glycobiology and to better understand how it impacts underlying diseases, such as cancer, inflammation and bacterial infection. Her innovative work has been used to inform new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Finally, Dr. Bertozzi is a prolific member of the industrial biotechnology community, having co-founded numerous companies to translate her basic science discoveries beyond the lab bench.


Don Comb Lectureship photo
Dr. Jo Handelsman is a renowned microbiologist who seeks to understand how microorganisms cooperate with and antagonize each other and is recognized for coining the term “metagenomics”. Dr. Handelsman’s lab studies model microbial communities, enabling them to isolate individual microbial interactions – otherwise impossible within the complex web of a native microbiome. The Handelsman lab has pioneered the use of functional metagenomics to study antibiotic resistance determinants in unculturable microbial communities from the moth gut to soil in the remote reaches of Alaska. Dr. Handelsman’s work has described how microbiomes impact and interact with their hosts, such as the relationship between plants and their soil microbiota. Dr. Handelsman has co-authored over 200 scientific articles and 6 books on teaching, as well as a new book A World Without Soil (2021) detailing the global soil erosion crisis. She is an advocate for STEM education and increasing diversity and inclusion in the sciences through her worldwide organization Tiny Earth, which creates accessible antibiotic discovery research experiences. Hear Dr. Handelsman interviewed on the NEB podcast Lessons from Lab & Life.


Don Comb Lectureship photo
Dr. Eva Nogales, is a pioneer in the application of cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) to biological problems. Cryo-EM is a technique that bridges the gap between molecules and cells, allowing the study of the large protein complexes that operate in living cells. The new insights provided by Dr. Nogales’ work have provided a deeper understanding of the large molecular machines that power the “central dogma” of DNA replication, transcription to RNA, and translation to protein. These studies have enabled understanding of how these machines function and how they can fail; from how antibiotics block the cellular protein factory to how the DNA replication machinery can introduce mistakes that can result in cancer or other diseases. In the course of her career, she has engaged in numerous collaborations with academic, government and industry scientists, is well known for her energy and passion for her work and her mentorship to many in pursuing a scientific career. Hear Dr. Nogales interviewed on the NEB podcast Lessons from Lab & Life.
Related Items

Press Release:

New England Biolabs® Announces the Donald G. Comb Honorary Lectureship Series in Celebration of Company Founder

New England Biolabs® Announces the 2023 Donald G. Comb Memorial Lectureship Recipient

New England Biolabs® Announces the 2025 Donald G. Comb Memorial Lectureship Recipient


Podcast:

NEB Podcast Episode #21 - Interview with Eva Nogales: How Cryogenic Electron Microscopy Informs Molecular Biology

NEB Podcast Episode #58 - Interview with Jo Handelsman: Microbial Communities and Expanding Diversity in Science

Videos