Ted W. Reid

Ted W. Reid (born September 26, 1939) is an American biochemist and ophthalmic researcher best known for his research in selenium-based antimicrobial biomaterials and his work in ocular cell biology. He is professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and Director of the Ocular Cell Biology program. In 2023, he was elected Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors.

Biography

Reid was born in Cayuga, Indiana. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Occidental College in 1961 and went on to receive his Master of Science from the University of Arizona in 1963. He completed his Ph.D. in Biochemistry at UCLA in 1967.

Academic career

After his postdoctoral fellowship, Reid joined Yale University's School of Medicine. There, he held joint appointments in the Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, starting as Assistant Professor and later advancing to Senior Research Scientist.

In 1984, Reid moved to the University of California, Davis, serving as Professor of Ophthalmology and Biological Sciences until 1990. He then accepted a faculty position at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where he remains active. At TTUHSC, he has held administrative roles including Vice Chair of the Department and leadership of biomedical research programs. He also holds adjunct and cross-departmental appointments in fields including chemistry, immunology, and molecular microbiology.

Research

Early in his career, Reid focused on the mechanisms of enzymes such as pepsin and alkaline phosphatase. His work elucidated the roles of active site carboxyl groups, isotope effects, and enzyme conformers in hydrolysis reactions.

Later projects explored retroviral enzyme kinetics, reverse transcriptase processivity, and the factors secreted by ocular tumor cells, notably retinoblastoma cell lines, which informed the biology of growth signaling in ocular tissues.

Reid developed the Select technology for antimicrobial coatings, which has been applied to medical and industrial materials. He demonstrated that selenium-coated dental sealants, polyester bandages, and catheter surfaces significantly reduce bacterial colonization in vivo.

He developed a contact lens with a thin selenium coating designed to prevent bacterial growth, explaining that selenium catalyzes the formation of superoxide which reacts to destroy bacterial and viral cells on contact.

Reid has further suggested that selenium could play a role in the design of new compounds, with potential implications for the treatment and prevention of viral infections, including coronaviruses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued this line of inquiry while observing public health and societal responses to the crisis, emphasizing the importance of scientific preparedness and effective governance.

References

This article "Ted W. Reid" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Ted W. Reid. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---