Wladek Minor

Władysław Minor was born in Poland in May 1946. He obtained his M.Sc. degree in 1969 (supervisor - Bronisław Buras) and his Ph.D. degree in 1977 (supervisor - Izabela Sosnowska) from the Physics Department at the University of Warsaw.{{cite journal |last1=Jaskolski |first1=Mariusz |last2=Wlodawer |first2=Alexander |last3=Dauter |first3=Zbigniew |last4=Shabalin |first4=Ivan |last5=Chruszcz |first5=Maksymilian |title=Celebrating the 75th birthday of Professor Wladek Minor, one of the most accomplished Polish-American structural biologists |journal=Acta Biochimica Polonica |date=21 January 2021 |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=1–4 |doi=10.18388/abp.2020_5539 |pmid=33476109 |doi-access=free }} He moved to the United States in 1985 at the age of 39.

Minor's main focus of interest during the Ph.D. studies was solid-state physics. For several years after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Warsaw, he continued to work in this area of research.

After moving to the United States in 1985 and working with Michael Rossmann at Purdue University, he gradually switched into the field of macromolecular crystallography. While at Purdue, Minor started a collaboration with {{ill|Zbyszek Otwinowski|pl|Zbyszek Otwinowski|display=1}}, with whom they developed software for processing X-ray diffraction data (Denzo, Scalepack, XDisplayF). Their paper “Processing of X-ray diffraction data collected in oscillation mode” published in 1997 was listed as number 23 in the list of 100 most-cited research papers of all times.{{cite journal |last1=Van Noorden |first1=Richard |last2=Maher |first2=Brendan |last3=Nuzzo |first3=Regina |title=The top 100 papers |journal=Nature |date=30 October 2014 |volume=514 |issue=7524 |pages=550–553 |doi=10.1038/514550a |pmid=25355343 |bibcode=2014Natur.514..550V |s2cid=4466906 |doi-access=free }} As of 2021, this paper has been cited over 41000 times (according to Google Scholar).{{Google Scholar id | 5zjVsfQAAAAJ| Wladek Minor}})

In 1995, Minor joined the University of Virginia as a faculty member. Around the same time, he and Zbyszek Otwinowski founded HKL Research.

Starting from 2000, his lab was a part of two Protein Structure Initiative centers: the Midwest Center for Structural Genomic (MSCG){{Cite web|url=https://www.anl.gov/bio/midwest-center-for-structural-genomics|title=Midwest Center for Structural Genomics | Argonne National Laboratory|website=www.anl.gov}} and the New York Structural Genomics Research Consortium (NYSGRC).{{Cite web|url=http://www.nysgxrc.org/psi3-cgi/index.cgi|title=NYSGRC|website=www.nysgxrc.org}} The lab was also a part of the Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases (CSGID){{Cite web|url=https://csgid.org/|title=Center for Structural Genomics of Infectious Diseases|website=csgid.org}} and the Enzyme Function Initiative. The Minor lab developed and maintained data management and structure solution tools, as well as performed quality control of the crystal structures and conducted determination of some of the structures.

The Minor lab has developed many other software tools for structural biology, including proteindiffraction.org (a public repository of diffraction images),{{cite journal |last1=Grabowski |first1=Marek |last2=Langner |first2=Karol M. |last3=Cymborowski |first3=Marcin |last4=Porebski |first4=Przemyslaw J. |last5=Sroka |first5=Piotr |last6=Zheng |first6=Heping |last7=Cooper |first7=David R. |last8=Zimmerman |first8=Matthew D. |last9=Elsliger |first9=Marc-André |last10=Burley |first10=Stephen K. |last11=Minor |first11=Wladek |title=A public database of macromolecular diffraction experiments |journal=Acta Crystallographica Section D |date=1 November 2016 |volume=72 |issue=11 |pages=1181–1193 |doi=10.1107/S2059798316014716 |pmid=27841751 |pmc=5108346 |bibcode=2016AcCrD..72.1181G }} CMM (a server for validation of metal-binding sites in macromolecular structures),{{cite journal |last1=Zheng |first1=Heping |last2=Cooper |first2=David R. |last3=Porebski |first3=Przemyslaw J. |last4=Shabalin |first4=Ivan G. |last5=Handing |first5=Katarzyna B. |last6=Minor |first6=Wladek |title=CheckMyMetal : a macromolecular metal-binding validation tool |journal=Acta Crystallographica Section D |date=1 March 2017 |volume=73 |issue=3 |pages=223–233 |doi=10.1107/S2059798317001061 |pmid=28291757 |pmc=5349434 |bibcode=2017AcCrD..73..223Z |s2cid=13636890 |doi-access=free }} CheckMyBlob (a machine learning system that automatically detects and validates ligands in X-ray electron density map),{{cite journal |last1=Kowiel |first1=Marcin |last2=Brzezinski |first2=Dariusz |last3=Porebski |first3=Przemyslaw J |last4=Shabalin |first4=Ivan G |last5=Jaskolski |first5=Mariusz |last6=Minor |first6=Wladek |title=Automatic recognition of ligands in electron density by machine learning |journal=Bioinformatics |date=1 February 2019 |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=452–461 |doi=10.1093/bioinformatics/bty626 |pmid=30016407 |pmc=6361236 }} and LabDB (a laboratory information management system for structural biology).{{cite book |doi=10.1007/978-1-0716-0892-0_13 |chapter=State-of-the-Art Data Management: Improving the Reproducibility, Consistency, and Traceability of Structural Biology and in Vitro Biochemical Experiments |title=Structural Genomics |series=Methods in Molecular Biology |year=2021 |last1=Cooper |first1=David R. |last2=Grabowski |first2=Marek |last3=Zimmerman |first3=Matthew D. |last4=Porebski |first4=Przemyslaw J. |last5=Shabalin |first5=Ivan G. |last6=Woinska |first6=Magdalena |last7=Domagalski |first7=Marcin J. |last8=Zheng |first8=Heping |last9=Sroka |first9=Piotr |last10=Cymborowski |first10=Marcin |last11=Czub |first11=Mateusz P. |last12=Niedzialkowska |first12=Ewa |last13=Venkataramany |first13=Barat S. |last14=Osinski |first14=Tomasz |last15=Fratczak |first15=Zbigniew |last16=Bajor |first16=Jacek |last17=Gonera |first17=Juliusz |last18=MacLean |first18=Elizabeth |last19=Wojciechowska |first19=Kamila |last20=Konina |first20=Krzysztof |last21=Wajerowicz |first21=Wojciech |last22=Chruszcz |first22=Maksymilian |last23=Minor |first23=Wladek |volume=2199 |pages=209–236 |pmid=33125653 |pmc=8019398 |isbn=978-1-0716-0891-3 }}

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wladek Minor became involved in the improvement of SARS-Cov-2 macromolecular crystal structureshttps://covid-19.bioreproducibility.org/ and published several scientific publications on the subject,{{cite journal |last1=Grabowski |first1=Marek |last2=Macnar |first2=Joanna M. |last3=Cymborowski |first3=Marcin |last4=Cooper |first4=David R. |last5=Shabalin |first5=Ivan G. |last6=Gilski |first6=Miroslaw |last7=Brzezinski |first7=Dariusz |last8=Kowiel |first8=Marcin |last9=Dauter |first9=Zbigniew |last10=Rupp |first10=Bernhard |last11=Wlodawer |first11=Alexander |last12=Jaskolski |first12=Mariusz |last13=Minor |first13=Wladek |title=Rapid response to emerging biomedical challenges and threats |journal=IUCrJ |date=1 May 2021 |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=395–407 |doi=10.1107/S2052252521003018 |pmid=33953926 |pmc=8086160 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2021IUCrJ...8..395G }}{{cite journal |last1=Brzezinski |first1=Dariusz |last2=Kowiel |first2=Marcin |last3=Cooper |first3=David R. |last4=Cymborowski |first4=Marcin |last5=Grabowski |first5=Marek |last6=Wlodawer |first6=Alexander |last7=Dauter |first7=Zbigniew |last8=Shabalin |first8=Ivan G. |last9=Gilski |first9=Miroslaw |last10=Rupp |first10=Bernhard |last11=Jaskolski |first11=Mariusz |last12=Minor |first12=Wladek |title=Covid-19.bioreproducibility.org: A web resource for SARS-CoV -2-related structural models |journal=Protein Science |date=January 2021 |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=115–124 |doi=10.1002/pro.3959|issn=0961-8368 |pmid=32981130 |pmc=7537053 }}{{cite journal |last1=Wlodawer |first1=Alexander |last2=Dauter |first2=Zbigniew |last3=Shabalin |first3=Ivan G. |last4=Gilski |first4=Miroslaw |last5=Brzezinski |first5=Dariusz |last6=Kowiel |first6=Marcin |last7=Minor |first7=Wladek |last8=Rupp |first8=Bernhard |last9=Jaskolski |first9=Mariusz |title=Ligand-centered assessment of SARS-CoV-2 drug target models in the Protein Data Bank |journal=The FEBS Journal |date=September 2020 |volume=287 |issue=17 |pages=3703–3718 |doi=10.1111/febs.15366 |pmid=32418327 |pmc=7276724 }} as well as a publication on molecular determinants of vascular transport of dexamethasone in COVID-19 therapy.{{cite journal |last1=Shabalin |first1=Ivan G. |last2=Czub |first2=Mateusz P. |last3=Majorek |first3=Karolina A. |last4=Brzezinski |first4=Dariusz |last5=Grabowski |first5=Marek |last6=Cooper |first6=David R. |last7=Panasiuk |first7=Mateusz |last8=Chruszcz |first8=Maksymilian |last9=Minor |first9=Wladek |title=Molecular determinants of vascular transport of dexamethasone in COVID-19 therapy |journal=IUCrJ |date=1 November 2020 |volume=7 |issue=6 |pages=1048–1058 |doi=10.1107/S2052252520012944 |pmid=33063792 |pmc=7553145 |bibcode=2020IUCrJ...7.1048S }} His research on COVID-19 has been reported by multiple media outlets.{{Cite news|url=https://dailyprogress.com/news/uva/uva-researcher-says-central-information-system-needed-before-next-pandemic/article_31fff29c-9332-11eb-b8a0-e3ffe15c9db6.html|website=The Daily Progress|title=UVa researcher says central information system needed before next pandemic|access-date=2021-04-14}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/health-science/coronavirus-caught-us-all-off-guard-can-we-prevent-a-future-pandemic-663577|website=The Jerusalem Post|title=Coronavirus caught us all off guard. Can we prevent a future pandemic?|access-date=2021-04-14}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbs19news.com/story/42805974/research-finds-conditions-like-diabetes-may-impact-effectiveness-of-covid19-treatment|website=CBS19News|title=Research finds conditions like diabetes may impact effectiveness of COVID-19 treatment|access-date=2021-04-14}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbs19news.com/story/42198065/working-to-understand-protein-structures-in-covid19|website=CBS19News|title=Working to understand protein structures in COVID-19|access-date=2021-04-14}}

Minor's lab has produced over 240 scientific publications and over 450 crystal structures of proteins.{{Cite web|url=https://minorlab.org/|title=Minor Laboratory|website=minorlab.org}} As of 2021, his papers were cited over 55000 times (according to Google Scholar).

• The Tadeusz Sendzimir Applied Sciences Award – 2020 2020{{Cite web|url=https://piasa.org/2020-piasa-awards-announcements/|website=The Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America|title = 2020 PIASA Awards Announcements|date=5 February 2021|language=en|access-date=2021-04-14}}
• Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science – 2018
• Fellow of the American Crystallographic Association – 2018
• American Friends of UW joint award - University of Warsaw - 2018{{Cite web|url=https://www.uw.edu.pl/prof-wladek-minor-laureatem-nagrody-uw-afuw-2018/|website=Uniwersytet Warszawski|title=Prof. Władek Minor laureatem nagrody UW-AFUW 2018|date=30 November 2018|language=PL|access-date=2021-04-14}}
• Inventor of the Year Award - University of Virginia - 2007{{Cite news|url=https://minorlab.org/media/attachments/daily-progress-2.pdf|website=minorlab.org|title=UVa's inventor award goes to physicist Minor|access-date=2021-04-14}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-patent-foundation-announces-2007-inventor-year|website=UVAToday|title=U.VA. PATENT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2007 INVENTOR OF THE YEAR|access-date=2021-04-14}}

Wladek Minor is married to Iwona Minor. They have two sons.

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Examples of software tools developed by Minor and his lab:

• [https://www.hkl-xray.com/ HKL Research] (an official site of the company that distributes HKL2000/HKL3000)
• [https://proteindiffraction.org/ proteindiffraction.org] (a public repository of diffraction images)
• [https://cmm.minorlab.org/ CMM] (a server for validation of metal-binding sites in macromolecular structures)
• [https://checkmyblob.bioreproducibility.org/server/ CheckMyBlob] (a machine learning system that automatically detects and validates ligands in X-ray electron density maps)
• [https://molstack.bioreproducibility.org/ Molstack] (an online platform for sharing electron density maps and their interpretations)
• [https://fitmunk.bioreproducibility.org/ Fitmunk] (a server for a framework for fitting side-chain conformations on a fixed backbone into electron density)
• [https://csgid.org/metalnas/ MgRNA] (a server for classification of Mg binding sites in RNA crystal structures)
• [http://2hadh.bioreproducibility.org/ 2HADH Knowledgebase] (a server for 2HADH enzymes classification and structural and enzymatic data)
• [https://labdb.minorlab.org/labdb LabDB] (an instance of a laboratory information management system for structural biology)
• [https://covid-19.bioreproducibility.org/ Validated SARS-CoV-2 related structural models] (a repository for validated SARS-CoV-2 related structural models of potential drug targets)

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Category:20th-century Polish physicists

Category:University of Virginia School of Medicine faculty

Category:21st-century American physicists

Category:Polish emigrants to the United States

Category:University of Warsaw alumni

Category:1946 births

Category:Living people