“The desire to take medicine is perhaps the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals.“
Sir William Osler (1849 – 1919)
Daniel Nosal, PhD.
Postdoctoral Researcher,
Linus Pauling Science Center
Research Project:
“Breaking bonds and making bonds”
Biography: Born in Chicago, Daniel Nosal spent his childhood in the suburban area. His drive toward a science career began when he was involved in his father’s construction company: Observing the manipulation of raw materials to form useful products fueled a desire for creation through chemistry. This propelled him to study organic chemistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The interactions between small molecules and proteins intrigued Daniel during his undergraduate years. He soon joined a laboratory focused on developing new pharmaceutical drugs. Here he learned about synthetic chemistry, instrumental analysis, and the use of incredibly sensitive equipment to make discoveries about the chemical world.
Daniel’s pursuit of a cutting-edge approach to solve fundamental questions about chemistry and biology led him to join the lab of Dr. Richard van Breemen for his graduate work. Here, Daniel analyzes natural products for their bioactive components. The methodologies Daniel is currently developing in the van Breemen laboratory are designed to fuel the discovery of novel drugs and improve human health.
When the Linus Pauling Institute asked Dr. van Breemen to be its new director, Daniel did not hesitate to follow him to Oregon State University. With the knowledge and skills he gains in the van Breemen laboratory, Daniel seeks to develop the next generation of scientific tools to discover new bioactive compounds from botanical sources that have the potential for saving lives.
