Genentech: Steven Rutherford | Senior Principal Scientist and Director, Infectious Diseases, Research Biology

Scientists / Our Scientists

"Every day we aim to address difficult but critical research questions and I am constantly inspired by the innovative, rigorous, and collaborative scientific approaches employed by Genentech scientists to seek out answers."

Years at Genentech

Publications at Genentech

Awards & Honors

I joined the Department of Infectious Diseases at Genentech as a Scientist in 2013. My background is in bacterial physiology and genetics and my group focusses on discovering and validating novel antibiotic targets in Gram-negative bacteria. I was attracted to Genentech because it offered me the opportunity to investigate difficult scientific questions that are critical for human health and allowed me to work with the most creative, innovative, and collaborative scientists in the world.

Featured Publication

Monoclonal antibody targeting the β-barrel assembly machine of Escherichia coli is bactericidal.

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 115:3692-3697.

Storek KM, Auerbach MR, Shi H, Garcia NK, Sun D, Nickerson NN, Vij R, Chiang N, Schneider K, Wecksler AT, Skippington E, Nakamura G, Seshasayee D, Koerber JT, Payandeh J, Smith PA, Rutherford ST.

View Abstract

Infections by bacteria resistant to all available antibiotics are on the rise and new treatment options are needed. This is especially true for Gram-negative bacterial pathogens for which the last new class of antibiotics was introduced to the clinic over 50 years ago. My group aims to discover and validate new potential antibiotic targets in Gram-negative bacteria and test novel inhibitory modalities.

We have focused on the outer membrane, a defining feature of Gram-negative bacteria that serves as a permeability barrier to prevent penetrance of antibiotics and other toxic molecules. Working closely with colleagues in Structural Biology, Antibody Engineering, Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Chemistry, Translational Immunology, and Early Discovery Biochemistry, we have explored multiple essential pathways involved in constructing and mainlining the outer membrane and used antibodies and other molecules to dissect and target these processes.

The discovery and structural basis of two distinct state-dependent inhibitors of BamA

Nature Communications,

Dawei Sun; Kelly M. Storek; Dimitry Tegunov; Ying Yang; Christopher P. Arthur; Matthew C. Johnson; John Quinn; Weijing Liu; Guanghui Han; Hany S. Girgis; Mary Kate Alexander; Austin K. Murchison; Stephanie K. Shriver; Christine Tam; Hiroshi Ijiri; Hiroko Inaba; Tatsuya Sano; Hayato Yanagida; Junichi Nishikawa; Christopher E. Heise; Wayne J. Fairbrother; Man-Wah Tan; Nicholas J. Skelton; Wendy N. Sandoval; Benjamin D. Sellers; Claudio Ciferri; Peter A. Smith; Patrick C. Reid; Christian N. Cunningham; Steven T. Rutherford; Jian Payandeh

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Steven Rutherford

Senior Principal Scientist and Director, Infectious Diseases, Research Biology

Featured Publication

Monoclonal antibody targeting the β-barrel assembly machine of Escherichia coli is bactericidal.