Dr. Kahne has been directing a research laboratory at Harvard University since 2004. He is a chemist who is recognized for his work studying the mechanisms of antibiotic killing and resistance. He is particularly known for his studies characterizing the proteins that assemble the outer membrane that protects Gram-negative bacteria. This membrane provides intrinsic resistance to most antibiotics which can kill Gram-positive bacteria. This outer membrane prevents drugs from penetrating into the cell so they can reach their cellular target. Previously, he served on the chemistry faculty at Princeton from 1988 to 2003, after a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in art history and chemistry and from Columbia University in 1986 with a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry. Dr. Kahne is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Academy of Microbiology, and the National Academy of Sciences.
