World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Chemistry

D-Index
87
Citations
25193
World Ranking
2438
National Ranking
125

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
90
Citations
26464
World Ranking
2463
National Ranking
171

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2019 - Tilden Prize, Royal Society of Chemistry (UK)
  • 2016 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 2014 - Fellow of the Royal Society, United Kingdom
  • 2005 - Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
  • 2004 - Corday–Morgan Prize, Royal Society of Chemistry (UK)
  • Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
  • Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom
  • Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

Overview

James H. Naismith is affiliated with the Rosalind Franklin Institute in the United Kingdom. Their research contributions span across biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and medicine, with a focus on molecular biology and infectious diseases. The work encompasses structural biology, radiology, nuclear medicine and imaging, and computational mechanics as notable subfields.

The scientist's main topics of research include advanced electron microscopy techniques and applications, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies research, SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 research, ion-surface interactions and analysis, enzyme structure and function, bacteriophages and microbial interactions, and electron and X-ray spectroscopy techniques.

Frequent co-authors in their publications include Maud Dumoux, Raymond J. Owens, Audrey Le Bas, Philip N. Ward, and Jiandong Huo.

The prominent venues publishing their research are Nature Communications, bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Open Biology, and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.

Representative recent papers authored or co-authored by James H. Naismith include:

  • Neutralizing nanobodies bind SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD and block interaction with ACE2, 2020, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
  • Structural basis for the neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by an antibody from a convalescent patient, 2020, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology
  • A potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralising nanobody shows therapeutic efficacy in the Syrian golden hamster model of COVID-19, 2021, Nature Communications
  • Megabodies expand the nanobody toolkit for protein structure determination by single-particle cryo-EM, 2021, Nature Methods
  • Plasma FIB milling for the determination of structures in situ, 2023, Nature Communications

Throughout their career, James H. Naismith has received several recognitions including the Tilden Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) in 2019, Fellowship of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2016, Fellowship of the Royal Society, United Kingdom in 2014, Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2005, and the Corday-Morgan Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) in 2004. They are also a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and a Fellow of The Academy of Medical Sciences, United Kingdom.

Best Publications

  • TNF alpha and the TNF receptor superfamily: structure-function relationship(s).

    Haitham T. Idriss;James H. Naismith

  • An efficient one-step site-directed deletion, insertion, single and multiple-site plasmid mutagenesis protocol.

    Huanting Liu;James Henderson Naismith

  • Polymeric chains of SUMO-2 and SUMO-3 are conjugated to protein substrates by SAE1/SAE2 and Ubc9

    Michael H. Tatham;Ellis Jaffray;Owen A. Vaughan;Joana M.P. Desterro

  • Structure of a RING E3 ligase and ubiquitin-loaded E2 primed for catalysis

    Anna Plechanovová;Ellis G. Jaffray;Michael H. Tatham;James H. Naismith

  • Neutralizing nanobodies bind SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD and block interaction with ACE2.

    J Huo;J Huo;A Le Bas;A Le Bas;R R Ruza;Duyvesteyn Hme.

  • Tryptophan 7-halogenase (PrnA) structure suggests a mechanism for regioselective chlorination.

    Changjiang Dong;Changjiang Dong;Silvana Flecks;Silvana Flecks;Susanne Unversucht;Susanne Unversucht;Caroline Haupt;Caroline Haupt

  • Wza the translocon for E. coli capsular polysaccharides defines a new class of membrane protein

    Changjiang Dong;Konstantinos Beis;Konstantinos Beis;Jutta Nesper;Jutta Nesper;Anne L. Brunkan-LaMontagne

  • Structure and mechanism of the CMR complex for CRISPR-mediated antiviral immunity

    Jing Zhang;Christophe Rouillon;Melina Kerou;Judith Reeks

  • Modularity in the TNF-receptor family

    James H. Naismith;Stephen R. Sprang

  • Crystal structure and mechanism of a bacterial fluorinating enzyme

    Changjiang Dong;Fanglu Huang;Hai Deng;Christoph Schaffrath

  • Porins and small-molecule translocation across the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria

    Julia Vergalli;Igor V Bodrenko;Muriel Masi;Muriel Masi;Lucile Moynié

  • Structural Basis of Trimannoside Recognition by Concanavalin A

    James H. Naismith;Robert A. Field

  • Structural and functional characterization of an archaeal clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated complex for antiviral defense (CASCADE).

    Nathanael G. Lintner;Melina Kerou;Susan K. Brumfield;Shirley Graham

  • Pivotal Roles of the Outer Membrane Polysaccharide Export and Polysaccharide Copolymerase Protein Families in Export of Extracellular Polysaccharides in Gram-Negative Bacteria

    Leslie Cuthbertson;Iain L. Mainprize;James H. Naismith;Chris Whitfield

  • On the Meaning of Affinity: Cluster Glycoside Effects and Concanavalin A

    Sarah M. Dimick;Steven C. Powell;Stephen A. McMahon;Davina N. Moothoo

  • Structure of the DNA repair helicase XPD.

    Huanting Liu;Jana Rudolf;Kenneth A. Johnson;Stephen A. McMahon

  • Novel inhibitors of an emerging target in Mycobacterium tuberculosis; substituted thiazolidinones as inhibitors of dTDP-rhamnose synthesis.

    Kerim Babaoglu;Mark A. Page;Victoria C. Jones;Michael R. McNeil

  • Structural basis for the neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by an antibody from a convalescent patient.

    D Zhou;Duyvesteyn Hme.;Chen C-P.;Huang C-G.;Huang C-G.

  • The rhamnose pathway.

    Marie-France Giraud;James H Naismith

  • The structural basis of the catalytic mechanism and regulation of glucose‐1‐phosphate thymidylyltransferase (RmlA)

    Wulf Blankenfeldt;Miryam Asuncion;Joseph S. Lam;James H. Naismith

Frequent Co-Authors

Chris Whitfield
Chris Whitfield University of Guelph
Marcel Jaspars
Marcel Jaspars University of Aberdeen
Malcolm F. White
Malcolm F. White University of St Andrews
Andrew F. Bent
Andrew F. Bent University of Wisconsin–Madison
David O'Hagan
David O'Hagan University of St Andrews
Paul Messner
Paul Messner BOKU University
Robert A. Field
Robert A. Field University of Manchester
Wulf Blankenfeldt
Wulf Blankenfeldt Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
Ian R. Booth
Ian R. Booth University of Aberdeen
Raymond J. Owens
Raymond J. Owens University of Oxford

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