Mark L. Nelson
Mark Nelson is an American chemist specializing in the field of antibiotics and tetracyclines. His synthesis techniques have resulted in over 40 patents and he conceived and synthesized with Prof Kwasi Adomako Ohemeng, Mohamed Ismail and Laura Honeyman the tetracycline antibiotic omadacycline, the first of the aminomethylcycline subclass of tetracyclines to reach medical use. It is useful against resistant bacteria and used for severe infections.
He is first author of Mass spectroscopic characterization of tetracycline in the skeletal remains of an ancient population from Sudanese Nubia 350–550 CE, published in 2010, which reported that ancient civilizations were producing antibiotics and used them to treat diseases. His work used anhydrous hydrogen fluoride to dissolve mummy bones found in Nubia followed by mass spectroscopic characterization.
He also is known for his scientific research into the non-antibiotic uses of the tetracyclines and for his work on the history of the compounds.
More recently he was awarded the 2019 American Chemistry Society Heroes of Chemistry award for his synthetic work leading to Nuzyra and Seysara, which were approved by the FDA in October 2018 for use as antibiotics in health and medicine.
