Edward Reich was known for his work on antibiotics that interact with nucleic acids and their related enzyme systems. He established that mitomycin C leads to loss of cellular nucleic acid and showed that actinomycines inhibit DNA-directed RNA synthesis, with selective interaction with deoxyguanosine residues and proposed a selective binding onto the exterior of helical DNA. He also established the properties of nucleotide analogues such as tubercidin and formycin. Edward developed the observation that tumour cells release fibrinolytic activity with a thorough study of both the release of plasminogen activators from cells and the relationship of this fibrinolytic activity to such fundamental matters as cell migration and inflammation, neoplasia, viral cell transformation, the release of the ovum at ovulation, trophoblast implantation and embryonic modelling. He purified nicotinic receptors and carried out extensive studies of the binding of drugs to them.
Professor Edward Reich FRS died on 26 September 2018.
