Hi, I'm Tim Vickers, glad to be here.

I am a biochemist with interests in microbiology, tropical diseases and enzymology. I did my PhD in biochemistry on trypanothione metabolism, at Dundee University in Scotland under the supervision of Professor Alan Fairlamb. I am now working on Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, in America. If anybody has any questions about enzymology, parasitology etc I would be delighted to try to help. I am usually glad to answer questions and research stuff for articles, after all, favours owed are valuable things.

At the moment I'm the director of Molecular and Cellular Biology wikiproject and working on bringing as many basic molecular biology, biochemistry and infectious disease articles up to featured article level as I can. Even with the help of all the expert editors in the project, this is going to be a very long process, but generations of students will bless our efforts as they plagiarise our text!

The MCB project is a group of editors interested in improving the quality of Wikipedia articles on molecular life sciences. Since these pages are usually the top Google hit on any biochemical subject you care to mention, this is more important from an academic viewpoint than you might think. Anybody interested in helping out can sign up on the project page (link). You will be most welcome.

Please note that I am not an employee of the Wikimedia foundation and my views are my own.

Sub-pages

• Symatlas and Wikipedia, an essay by Tim Vickers.
• My sandbox
• Administrative statistics
• My Wikidashboard

Awards

Barnstars and shiny things

Awards from other Wikipedians. Thank you. The E=mc² Barnstar While trawling through the deleted revisions of Bacteria in an effort to delete 1 bad revision, I noticed you had put in a huge effort on that article so I am awarding you this barnstar. ViridaeTalk 00:58, 21 January 2007 (UTC) The Editor's Barnstar for tireless & good-humoured work on the Homeopathy page; well done Tim! Peter morrell 12:13, 15 July 2006 (UTC) The Featured Article Medal Awarding you this long overdue award for bringing enzyme, enzyme kinetics, enzyme inhibitor, influenza and tuberculosis (FAR) (back) to featured level. I'm looking forward to bacteria (in review). Samsara (talk • contribs) 14:22, 26 November 2006 (UTC) Golden Wiki This Golden Wiki was well-earned by newbie Tim Vickers for his months of work in bringing Enzyme to Featured Article status, and for his constructive way of interacting with other editors; a truly professional Wikipedian. Willow 6 September 2006 The Barnstar of Diligence I award Tim Vickers this Barnstar of Diligence for an amazing feat—one I thought undoable—bringing Evolution back to featured status. This article is truly a testament to your ability to work with others to produce quality, neutral, well-sourced articles. Here's hoping it stays in good shape :-)) SandyGeorgia (Talk) 17:26, 10 June 2007 (UTC) The Barnstar of Bravery Tim Vickers truly deserves this Barnstar of Bravery for his undaunted zeal in bringing Evolution back to Featured Article status. His steadfast devotion to the article and his calm, professional interactions with other Wikipedians of differing viewpoints are reminiscent of a Daniel come to judgment — in the lion's den. Truly, angels rush in where fools fear to tread. Willow 16:52, 12 June 2007 (UTC) The Tireless Science Contributor Barnstar Tim Vickers, please accept this Tireless Science Contributor Barnstar in recognition of your ceaseless efforts on science articles and your fine work in bringing Evolution back to FA status. Are you really just one person? --Plumbago 12:38, 14 June 2007 (UTC) The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar for your extreme kindness and calmness Sushant gupta 16:32, 17 October 2007 (UTC) The Working Man's Barnstar Thank you for your participation in the GAC backlog elimination drive! ¿SFGiДnts! ¿Complain! ¿Analyze! ¿Review! 20:43, 13 August 2007 (UTC) Knight-errant of the FA The noble Theodor, High King in Wikipedia, gazes with marveling favour on the Featured Articles of Tim Vickers: Enzyme, Enzyme kinetics, Enzyme inhibitor, Influenza, Tuberculosis, Bacteria, Immune system, DNA, Antioxidant, Metabolism, Evolution, Oxidative phosphorylation, Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and Archaea The king therefore dubs Tim a Knight-errant of the FAe. May Mab herself bless Tim's work! The Special Barnstar For the exceptional quality shown by putting ego aside and doing what is best for an article.BirgitteSB 04:18, 14 July 2007 (UTC) The Editor's Barnstar For creating up to 8 featured articles on Wikipedia, and having a P.H.D. in biochemistry, I award you the Editor's Barnstar. Congratulations!!!--U.S.A. (talk contribs) 16:23, 15 September 2007 (UTC) The Barnstar of Diligence I award Tim Vickers this Barnstar of Diligence for a conspicuous and sustained display of effort, common sense, and patience an a wide range of topics, under a wide range of situations. A tip of the hat. Pete.Hurd 23:40, 25 September 2007 (UTC) The Original Barnstar For patient dicussion and guidance on Orthomolecular psychiatry, and since I can find a barnstar for just being great and negotiating a tricky disagreement, I'm giving you the original barnstar. Go TimVickers (and Loki)! WLU (talk) 18:06, 13 February 2008 (UTC) The Working Man's Barnstar For your dedicated work on Archaea. We need more editors like you! The E=mc² Barnstar Because you seem to have been a major contributor to every chemistry or biochemistry Featured Article I read! Shudde talk 07:03, 26 June 2008 (UTC) The Original Barnstar Thank you for working hard to make Archaea accessible to the interested lay reader! We autodidacts really appreciate such efforts! Awadewit (talk) 02:32, 2 July 2008 (UTC) The AFD Barnstar I just wanted to say thanks for your recent WP:AfD work. I've seen you close many AfDs recently when I was closing some myself, and I must say, well done. ;) That must have been tiring. Regards, RyRy (talk) 07:37, 14 July 2008 (UTC) The Medicine Barnstar I, delldot, hereby award TimVickers the medicine barnstar for lending his time and expertise in helping bring pulmonary contusion to FA status. delldot talk 19:59, 22 July 2008 (UTC) Thank You! for your assistance in helping Virus to become a Featured Article today. It's much appreciated, Graham. Graham Colm Talk 13:07, 23 September 2008 (UTC) The Admin's Barnstar for laying out your reasons in a way that both made your thinking clear and discounted the typical irrelevant AfD nonsense present in the discussions for Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/List of problems solved by MacGyver (3rd nomination), I award you this Barnstar otherlleftNo, really, other way . . . 00:08, 26 November 2008 (UTC) The Article Rescue Barnstar Thanks for the good assist at Alcohol and sex. Have a beer and ... Colonel Warden (talk) 21:16, 29 March 2009 (UTC) The Admin's Barnstar You are unquestionably one of the best administrators on Wikipedia. J.delanoygabsadds 18:56, 9 April 2009 (UTC) The Barnstar of Peace For actively encouraging compromise on flu articles and in other places Pontificalibus (talk) 20:16, 3 May 2009 (UTC) The Original Barnstar For your improving and well sourced edits to the Reincarnation research article. Verbal chat 17:56, 26 June 2009 (UTC) The Bio-star Thanks for the continual efforts in the wikiproject MCB in welcoming new users, helping needy users and greatly increasing the Knowledge stored in wikipedia! Squidonius (talk) 10:39, 27 October 2009 (UTC)

Links to papers

This user is a member of the Molecular & Cellular Biology WikiProject

Eudes A, Kunji ER, Noiriel A, Klaus SM, Vickers TJ, Beverley SM, Gregory JF, Hanson AD. "Identification of transport-critical residues in a folate transporter from the folate-biopterin transporter (FBT) family." J Biol Chem. (2009)

Laurent MR, Vickers TJ. "Seeking health information online: does Wikipedia matter?" J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc. (2009)

Nare B, Garraway LA, Vickers TJ, Beverley SM. "PTR1-dependent synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin contributes to oxidant susceptibility in Leishmania major." Current genetics (2009)

Vickers TJ, Murta SM, Mandell MM, Beverley SM. "The enzymes of the 10-formyl-tetrahydrofolate synthetic pathway are found exclusively in the cytosol of the trypanosomatid parasite Leishmania major." Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. (2009)

Murta SM, Vickers TJ, Scott DA, Beverley SM. "Methylene tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase and the synthesis of 10-CHO-THF are essential in Leishmania major." Mol Microbiol. 2009 Mar 71(6):1386-401

Huss JW, Orozco C, Goodale J, Wu C, Batalov S, Vickers TJ, Valafar F, Su AI. A Gene Wiki for Community Annotation of Gene Function PLoS Biol. 2008 Jul 8;6(7):e175.

Wyllie S, Vickers TJ, Fairlamb AH. Roles of trypanothione S-transferase and tryparedoxin peroxidase in resistance to antimonials Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2008 Apr;52(4):1359-65

Scott DA, Hickerson SM, Vickers TJ, Beverley SM. The role of the mitochondrial glycine cleavage complex in the metabolism and virulence of the protozoan parasite Leishmania major. J Biol Chem. 2008 Jan 4;283(1):155-65.

Vickers TJ, Orsomando G, de la Garza RD, Scott DA, Kang SO, Hanson AD, Beverley SM. Biochemical and genetic analysis of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in leishmania metabolism and virulence. J Biol Chem. 2006 Dec 15;281(50):38150-8.

Greig N, Wyllie S, Vickers TJ, Fairlamb AH. Trypanothione-dependent glyoxalase I in Trypanosoma cruzi. Biochem J. 2006 Dec 1;400(2):217-23.

Ariza A, Vickers TJ, Greig N, Armour KA, Dixon MJ, Eggleston IM, Fairlamb AH, Bond CS. Specificity of the trypanothione-dependent Leishmania major glyoxalase I: structure and biochemical comparison with the human enzyme. Mol Microbiol. 2006 Feb;59(4):1239-48.

Vickers TJ, Greig N, Fairlamb AH. A trypanothione-dependent glyoxalase I with a prokaryotic ancestry in Leishmania major. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Sep 7;101(36):13186-91.

Vickers TJ, Wyllie S, Fairlamb AH. Leishmania major elongation factor 1B complex has trypanothione S-transferase and peroxidase activity. J Biol Chem. 2004 Nov 19;279(47):49003-9.

Saravanamuthu A, Vickers TJ, Bond CS, Peterson MR, Hunter WN, Fairlamb AH. Two interacting binding sites for quinacrine derivatives in the active site of trypanothione reductase: a template for drug design. J Biol Chem. 2004 Jul 9;279(28):29493-500.

Vickers TJ, Fairlamb AH. Trypanothione S-transferase activity in a trypanosomatid ribosomal elongation factor 1B. J Biol Chem. 2004 Jun 25;279(26):27246-56.

Links to news articles and talks

• William J. Furney Accuracy of Wikipedia Questioned Again as Anti-Aging Body Files Lawsuits Bali Times, 2009

• Tim Vickers Wikipedia as a source of scientific information 2009 NIH talk

• Rachel Metz Study Suggests Doctors Should Add To Wikipedia Associated Press, 2009

• Aimee deCathelineau A crash course in Wikipedia for cell biologists Biowrites, 2009

• Molecular and cellular biology goes interactive EMBO encounters, 2007