January 13, 2015

Dr. David Sherman’s recent 6-day expedition to Saudi Arabia has been documented in an online diary.

Dr. Sherman explores biochemical pathways of marine microorganisms with the goal of finding new drug candidates to treat infectious diseases and cancers. To collect the samples he needs for his work, he often trades his lab coat for a wet suit and travels to exotic locations rich in biodiversity resources. In November 2014, Dr. Sherman traveled with fellow LSI faculty member and frequent collaborator Georgios (Yiorgo) Skiniotis, a structural biologist, to Saudi Arabia to collect marine microorganisms from the Red Sea. 

Dr. Sherman is currently Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education and Hans W. Vahlteich Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the College of Pharmacy, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the U-M Medical School (UMHS), Professor of Chemistry at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), as well as Research Professor at the Life Sciences Institute (LSI).

Composed of a dynamic, interdisciplinary team of scientists, the Sherman laboratory studies the biosynthesis of natural products from microbes that include cyanobacteria, actinomycetes, and myxobacteria. We are inspired by natural products from both terrestrial and marine organisms and seek to better understand their origins using a set of tools that includes molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, structural biology, and bioorganic chemistry.

"This short course and expedition became a wonderful reminder of science’s ability to create an atmosphere that is positive, inclusive, agnostic and neutral among individuals with distinct cultural and religious backgrounds. How fantastic if this reality of the scientific community could become the broad norm among and between all," adds Dr. Sherman. 

To learn more, visit Dr. Sherman's online diary.