Alan Herbert has played a leading part in discovering the biological roles for a high-energy form of DNA twisted to the left rather than to the right
Both Z-DNA and the Z-RNA sensing proteins are critical for protecting hosts against both viruses and cancers. The proteins also play critical roles in the programmed cell death of aging cells.
Other types of flipon exist and alter the readout of transcripts from the genome, encoding genetic information by their shape rather than by their sequence. Alan Herbert has also made contributions to understanding how transcripts are edited as they are read from the genome and also in mapping genetic variation to different traits in human.
He trained at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and furthered his studies at M.I.T. He joined the faculty of Boston University before micing to Merch & Co., after which he started his company InsideOutBio. His book “Flipons: The Discovery of Z-DNA and Soft-Wired Genomes, first published in 2024 describes the exciting world or research at the forefront of knowledge. Dr. Herbert is a life-time fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Dr Herbert is currently focused on applying the discoveries to improving disease outcomes in cancer and autoimmune diseases by developing therapeutics that target Flipons. The company he founded is located in Boston, US. It is virtual and works through Contract Research Organizations and with many academic collaborators, trying to harness the best features of both models for finding cures.
