Marine Chemical Biologist Honored by Royal Society of Chemistry

The Royal Society of Chemistry announced on May 8 that Bradley Moore, professor of marine chemistry at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and chair of pharmaceutical chemistry at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego, has received its biennial Natural Product Chemistry Award.

The Royal Society, based in the United Kingdom, distributes this award for pioneering discoveries in the chemical biology, biosynthesis, genomics and engineering of marine natural products. Moore receives this award for his contributions to advance “excellence in the chemical sciences” to improve “the lives of people around the world now and in the future,” Dr. Robert Parker, chief executive of the society said.

Natural products chemistry is the study of substances produced by living organisms, which can improve the understanding of biological processes or identify compounds that may lead to the development of new drugs or materials. Moore has played an integral part in pioneering strategies to better understand the role of marine natural products in drug discovery and development. His core research focuses on answering how and why microorganisms from the ocean produce distinctive chemicals that help sustain life in the sea and improve health on land.

“I’m both honored and humbled to receive this award,” said Moore, who with the award will receive a medal and cash prize and conduct a lecture tour in the United Kingdom. “I dedicate this prize to the loving memory of my father Richard Moore, who instilled in me an appreciation of the beauty and simplicity of nature’s chemistry.”

In addition to recognizing the originality and impact of Moore’s contributions to marine natural products, the award also serves as an affirmation of his ability to successfully collaborate within his field, and across disciplines, the society said.

Moore teaches courses on marine chemical biology in the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine (CMBB) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as well as pharmaceutical sciences in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC San Diego. Moore is also the director of the Scripps Center for Oceans and Human Health (SCOHH) and associate director of the CMBB. He serves as a Chair of the Natural Product Reports editorial board, and in 2010, was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

-Tricia Dutton