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Draft:David R. Walt

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David R. Walt is an American scientist, educator and entrepreneur. Walt is the Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Bioinspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is a Core Faculty Member of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, Associate Member at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Trained as a chemist, Walt started his academic career in 1981 and spent 35 years in the Chemistry Department at Tufts University where he rose through the ranks to become both Department Chair and the Robinson Professor of Chemistry.  In 2014, he was appointed University Professor. In 2017 Walt moved to Harvard University.  Walt was co-Director of the Mass General Brigham Center for COVID Innovation

Early life and education

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Walt was born in Detroit Michigan and grew up in Southfield  Michigan—a Detroit suburb. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Michigan in 1974 and his PhD in Chemical Biology from Stony Brook University in 1979,  He was a postdoctoral research fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he worked with Professor George M. Whitesides on enzyme-catalyzed organic synthesis.

Research

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David Walt’s research initially was focused on developing fiber optic sensors and biosensors. His laboratory demonstrated the use of polymerization chemistry to bind sensory molecules to the surface of optical fibers.[1]. This advance enabled a new era in optical sensor technology. His laboratory made contributions that led to new sensing chemistries and multiple applications of sensors to clinical, environmental and process control.

In 1991, Walt published the first paper describing the use of imaging fibers for sensing, demonstrating that an optical imaging fiber could be modified with different chemistries to enable multi-analyte sensing in a unitary sensor format[2]. By polymerizing different sensory elements on the end of an imaging optical fiber bundle[3][4], the Walt laboratory took the field of sensor arrays in an entirely new direction. Over the next several years, Walt and colleagues demonstrated multianalyte sensing using this approach, culminating in the first DNA microarray based on optical fibers[5]. The random bead[6] array technology was licensed to a venture-backed startup, Illumina, Inc., in 1998 to develop next-generation genotyping and sequencing instrumentation.

The Walt laboratory also focused its microwell arrays on systems that can detect and measure single molecules[7][8]. Walt and co-workers showed that individual, stochastic enzyme substrate turnover rates for hundreds to thousands of single enzyme molecules can be monitored simultaneously using this array format. This effort led to multiple biochemistry discoveries by observing individual molecules instead of population averages. The single molecule work also resulted in the demonstration of a new method for detecting nucleic acids and proteins using digital analysis. The technology is the most sensitive protein detection technology in the world, called Simoa[9], with better than a thousandfold improvement in sensitivity over today’s clinical methods. It is focused on both research applications and clinical applications for neurodegenerative diseases.

Since moving to Brigham and Woman’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, Walt’s laboratory has been focused on developing and applying new biomarker assay technologies to unmet clinical needs including early detection of breast cancer[10], detection of active tuberculosis and other infectious diseases[11], diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases[12], and prediction of immunotherapy response for cancer.  The lab has also been very active developing ultrasensitive assays for SARS-CoV-2 antigens, vaccines, host antibodies[13], neutralization assays, and have applied these assays to a multitude of clinical studies to understand disease pathogenesis and help advise clinical care[13]. Walt’s lab is also pursuing research on single enzyme molecules to provide insight into enzyme mechanisms[14]. His work has been featured in numerous independent publications[15], including a feature by the Brigham and Women's Hospital in the The New York Times[16]. He has given countless lectures[17] (see Awards and Honors). His pioneering work in the field of diagnostics and biosensors has been fundamental in establishing valuable collaborations with the Michael J Fox Foundation[18], The Wellcome Leap foundation[19], Canon Medical Services[20], The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative[21],

Walt has published over 400 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has over 100 patents and patent applications. Walt has been elected into both the National Academy Engineering[22], and the National Academy of Medicine. He is a Member of the American Philosophical Society, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and is inducted in the US National Inventors Hall of Fame. His contributions have been cited over 40,000 times[23] and is work has been recognized and awarded in countless opportunities (see Awards and honors). Throughout his career, Dr Walt has mentored more than 200 students and postdoctoral fellows that went on to further his contributions to the field of nano sensors and diagnostics.

Walt is Scientific Founder of Illumina Inc., Quanterix Corp., and has co-founded multiple other life sciences startups including Ultivue, Inc., Arbor Biotechnologies, Sherlock Biosciences, Vizgen, Inc., and Protillion Biosciences.

Awards and honors

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  • 2022 - Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize From the national Academy of Engineering[22][24]
  • 2021 - Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine[25][26]
  • 2019 - Wallace A. Coulter Lectureship Award—AACC[27]
  • 2019 - National Inventors Hall of Fame, Inductee[28]
  • 2018 - Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Michigan[29]
  • 2017 - American Chemical Society Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success[30]
  • 2016 - Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry[31]
  • 2014 - Honorary Doctor of Science, Stony Brook University[32]
  • 2014 - American Chemical Society Gustavus John Esselen Award[33]
  • 2013 - American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry Spectrochemical Analysis Award
  • 2013 - Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award  
  • 2010 - University of Michigan Distinguished Innovator Lecture[34]
  • 2010 - Stony Brook University Distinguished Alumni Award
  • 2010 - ACS National Award for Creative Invention
  • 2006 - Alexander Cruickshank Lecturer, University of Rhode Island
  • 2004 - Willard Lecturer, University of Michigan, Department of Chemistry
  • 2004 - Francis Clifford Phillips Lectures, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Chemistry
  • 2004 - Herman Bloch Award, University of Chicago, Department of Chemistry  
  • 2002 - Clifford C. Hach Lecturer, University of Wyoming College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry  
  • 2002 - Samuel R. Scholes Lecturer, Alfred University, School of Ceramic Engineering and Materials Science  
  • 1999 - Professor Invitee’, Ecole Normale Superieure
  • 1996 - Biosensors and Bioelectronics Award
  • 1995 - National Science Foundation Special Creativity Award
  • 1989 - 3M Research Creativity Award  

References

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  1. ^ Pantano, Paul; Walt, David R. (1996-01-01). "Ordered Nanowell Arrays". Chemistry of Materials. 8 (12): 2832–2835. doi:10.1021/cm9603314. ISSN 0897-4756.
  2. ^ Walt, David R. (2013-02-05). "Optical Methods for Single Molecule Detection and Analysis". Analytical Chemistry. 85 (3): 1258–1263. doi:10.1021/ac3027178. ISSN 0003-2700. PMC 3565068. PMID 23215010.
  3. ^ Steemers, Frank J.; Ferguson, Jane A.; Walt, David R. (January 2000). "Screening unlabeled DNA targets with randomly ordered fiber-optic gene arrays". Nature Biotechnology. 18 (1): 91–94. doi:10.1038/72006. ISSN 1087-0156. PMID 10625399.
  4. ^ Gorris, Hans H.; Blicharz, Timothy M.; Walt, David R. (November 2007). "Optical-fiber bundles". The FEBS Journal. 274 (21): 5462–5470. doi:10.1111/j.1742-4658.2007.06078.x. ISSN 1742-464X. PMID 17937772.
  5. ^ Epstein, Jason R; Leung, Amy P.K; Lee, Kyong-Hoon; Walt, David R (May 2003). "High-density, microsphere-based fiber optic DNA microarrays". Biosensors and Bioelectronics. 18 (5–6): 541–546. doi:10.1016/S0956-5663(03)00021-6. PMID 12706560.
  6. ^ Walt, David R. (2000-01-21). "Bead-based Fiber-Optic Arrays". Science. 287 (5452): 451–452. doi:10.1126/science.287.5452.451. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 10671175.
  7. ^ Gilboa, Tal; Ogata, Alana F.; Walt, David R. (2022-01-05). "Single-Molecule Enzymology for Diagnostics: Profiling Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Clinical Samples". ChemBioChem. 23 (1): e202100358. doi:10.1002/cbic.202100358. ISSN 1439-4227. PMID 34375495.
  8. ^ Rissin, David M; Kan, Cheuk W; Campbell, Todd G; Howes, Stuart C; Fournier, David R; Song, Linan; Piech, Tomasz; Patel, Purvish P; Chang, Lei; Rivnak, Andrew J; Ferrell, Evan P; Randall, Jeffrey D; Provuncher, Gail K; Walt, David R; Duffy, David C (June 2010). "Single-molecule enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay detects serum proteins at subfemtomolar concentrations". Nature Biotechnology. 28 (6): 595–599. doi:10.1038/nbt.1641. ISSN 1087-0156. PMC 2919230. PMID 20495550.
  9. ^ Schubert, Stephanie M.; Walter, Stephanie R.; Manesse, Mael; Walt, David R. (2016-03-01). "Protein Counting in Single Cancer Cells". Analytical Chemistry. 88 (5): 2952–2957. doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.6b00146. ISSN 0003-2700. PMID 26813414.
  10. ^ Rolando, Justin C.; Melkonian, Arek V.; Walt, David R. (2024-07-17). "The Present and Future Landscapes of Molecular Diagnostics". Annual Review of Analytical Chemistry. 17 (1): 459–474. Bibcode:2024ARAC...17..459R. doi:10.1146/annurev-anchem-061622-015112. ISSN 1936-1327. PMID 38360553.
  11. ^ Wu, Connie; Dougan, Tyler J.; Walt, David R. (2022-01-25). "High-Throughput, High-Multiplex Digital Protein Detection with Attomolar Sensitivity". ACS Nano. 16 (1): 1025–1035. doi:10.1021/acsnano.1c08675. ISSN 1936-0851. PMC 9499451. PMID 35029381.
  12. ^ Gilboa, Tal; Swank, Zoe; Thakur, Rohan; Gould, Russell A.; Ooi, Kean Hean; Norman, Maia; Flynn, Elizabeth A.; Deveney, Brendan T.; Chen, Anqi; Borberg, Ella; Kuzkina, Anastasia; Ndayisaba, Alain; Khurana, Vikram; Weitz, David A.; Walt, David R. (2024-01-16). "Toward the quantification of α-synuclein aggregates with digital seed amplification assays". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 121 (3): e2312031121. Bibcode:2024PNAS..12112031G. doi:10.1073/pnas.2312031121. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 10801878. PMID 38194461.
  13. ^ a b Swank, Zoe; Borberg, Ella; Chen, Yulu; Senussi, Yasmeen; Chalise, Sujata; Manickas-Hill, Zachary; Yu, Xu G.; Li, Jonathan Z.; Alter, Galit; Henrich, Timothy J.; Kelly, J. Daniel; Hoh, Rebecca; Goldberg, Sarah A.; Deeks, Steven G.; Martin, Jeffrey N. (December 2024). "Measurement of circulating viral antigens post-SARS-CoV-2 infection in a multicohort study". Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 30 (12): 1599–1605. doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2024.09.001. PMC 11578795. PMID 39389851.
  14. ^ Rolando, Justin C.; Melkonian, Arek V.; Walt, David R. (2024-07-17). "The Present and Future Landscapes of Molecular Diagnostics". Annual Review of Analytical Chemistry. 17 (1): 459–474. Bibcode:2024ARAC...17..459R. doi:10.1146/annurev-anchem-061622-015112. ISSN 1936-1327. PMID 38360553.
  15. ^ "A Liquid Biopsy Approach for Early Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease". Diagnostics from Technology Networks. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  16. ^ "PAID POST by Mass General Brigham — Trailblazing Innovation in Cancer Treatment". The New York Times. 2024-09-05. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  17. ^ "David Walt, PhD". 2024 World Medical Innovation Forum. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  18. ^ "David R. Walt, PhD | Parkinson's Disease". www.michaeljfox.org. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  19. ^ "MCPsych Program Details". Wellcome Leap: Unconventional Projects. Funded at Scale. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  20. ^ "Ultrasensitive Blood Test Detects 'Pan-Cancer' Biomarker | Mass General Brigham". www.massgeneralbrigham.org. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  21. ^ "Neuron-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Biomarker Discovery in Neurodegeneration". Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  22. ^ a b "David Walt awarded with National Academy of Engineering's 2023 Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize". Wyss Institute. 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  23. ^ "David Walt". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  24. ^ "Dr. David R. Walt". NAE Website. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  25. ^ "Quanterix Co-Inventor of Simoa® David Walt Receives Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine". November 08, 2021. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "David Walt: 2021 Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine". YouTube. 2021.
  27. ^ "David R Walt". myadlm.org. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  28. ^ "Meet 2019 Inductee David Walt | National Inventors Hall of Fame". www.invent.org. 2024-11-30. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  29. ^ "'The epitome of why it's exciting to be a scientist': A conversation with David Walt | Life Sciences Institute". www.lsi.umich.edu. 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  30. ^ "Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success: David R. Walt". C&EN Global Enterprise. 95 (1): 49–50. 2017-01-02. doi:10.1021/cen-09501-awards052.
  31. ^ "David R. Walt, Ph.D." Wyss Institute. 2017-07-01. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  32. ^ "Honorary Degrees | Special Collections and University Archives". www.stonybrook.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  33. ^ "David Walt Receives Esselen Award". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  34. ^ "David R. Walt, Ph.D. — Special Lecture and Open House Breakfast". Center for RNA Biomedicine. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
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