Dr. David Gammon at Rutgers University

GIBEX-Rutgers hosted Dr. David Gammon, Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry and Senior Associate of GIBEX-Africa at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, April 27-29, 2007 at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey.  David’s short visit was packed with activities which started with a meeting with the GIBEX group to discuss GIBEX programs and review GIBEX-Africa activities. He was updated on the status and advancements being made with the STN technology and future plans on its transfer to GIBEX-Africa partners. David shared the plan at UCT to expand GIBEX-Africa activities through collaborations with UCT faculty in the bio-conservation disciplines which will open opportunities for exploring the biodiversity around Cape Town and beyond for biotherapeutic properties using the STN technology. He also disclosed the plan at UCT to promote collaboration with strategically selected universities in Africa, which should open additional opportunities for collaborative research and education in the area of bioexploration for biotherapuetic purposes. David is excited about the future of GIBEX-Africa and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to visit Rutgers to see firsthand the “engine room” of the GIBEX family. He was given a guided tour of Ilya Raskin’s laboratory where some of the STN innovations are being developed for transfer to GIBEX partners around the world.   David interacted with the faculty within Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) and the Chemistry Department on the Busch Campus. He also had an opportunity to visit the Supply Side East Conference at Secaucus, New Jersey, where the latest developments in the natural product and related disciplines in Eastern United States were displayed.  On April 29, David presented a seminar on “The Evolution of Natural Products Chemistry: Reflections on Explorations of Molecular Diversity in South African Plants and Microbes” to an enthusiastic audience at Rutgers’ SEBS. The seminar, which was based on his research at UCT, generated lively discussions.   Dr. Gammon has kindly accepted to take over as Chief Coordinator of GIBEX-Africa in January 2010 from the pioneer Chief Coordinator Prof. Kelly Chibale, also based at UCT. Prof. Chibale became the first Director of the new South African Medical Research Council (MRC) Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit in April 2009 and would need time to settle down in this new position. However, Kelly will continue his role as a strong supporter and promoter of GIBEX-Africa.