Ross D. King

{{Short description|Professor at the University of Manchester}} {{other people||Ross King (disambiguation){{!}}Ross King}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}} {{Use British English|date=August 2017}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Ross King | birth_name = Ross Donald King | image = Ross King P1010844 (13870222325) (2).jpg | image_size = | alt = Prof. Ross King, Chalmers University of Technology, Oct. 2019 | caption = Prof. Ross King, Chalmers University of Technology, Oct. 2019 | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date =  | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | residence = | citizenship = | nationality = | fields = {{Plainlist| * [[Automation|Automation of Science]] * [[Drug design]] * [[Artificial intelligence]] * [[Machine learning]] * [[Synthetic Biology|Synthetic biology]]}} | workplaces = {{Plainlist| * [[Chalmers University of Technology]] * [[University of Manchester]] * [[University of Aberdeen]] * [[Newcastle University]] * [[Aberystwyth University]] * [[University of Strathclyde]]<ref name="kingphd"/> * [[The Turing Institute]]<ref name="turing"/> * [[Manchester Institute of Biotechnology]] * [[Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester|School of Computer Science]]}} | alma_mater = {{Plainlist| * [[University of Aberdeen]] (BSc) * [[Newcastle University]] (MSc) * [[University of Strathclyde]] (PhD)}} | thesis_title = A machine learning approach to the problem of predicting a protein's secondary structure from its primary structure (PROMIS) | thesis_url = http://suprimo.lib.strath.ac.uk/SUVU01:LSCOP_SU:SUALMA2147154800002996 | thesis_year = 1989 | doctoral_advisor = {{Plainlist| * Peter Mowforth * Douglas McGregor}} | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = [[Robot Scientist]]<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Sparkes | first1 = A. | last2 = Aubrey | first2 = W. | last3 = Byrne | first3 = E. | last4 = Clare | first4 = A. | last5 = Khan | first5 = M. N. | last6 = Liakata | first6 = M. | last7 = Markham | first7 = M. | last8 = Rowland | first8 = J. | last9 = Soldatova | first9 = L. N. | last10 = Whelan | first10 = K. E. | last11 = Young | first11 = M. | last12 = King | first12 = R. D. | title = Towards Robot Scientists for autonomous scientific discovery | doi = 10.1186/1759-4499-2-1 | journal = Automated Experimentation | volume = 2 | page = 1 | year = 2010 | pmid = 20119518 | pmc =2813846 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1 = King|last2= Rowland | first2 = J. |last3 = Aubrey | first3 = W.|last4 = Liakata | first4 = M.|last5= Markham | first5 = M.|last6 = Soldatova |first6 = L. N.|last7 = Whelan | first7 = K. E. |last8 = Clare | first8 = A. |last9 = Young | first9= M. |last10 = Sparkes | first10 = A. |last11 = Oliver | first11 = S. G. |last12 = Pir | first12 = P.| title = The Robot Scientist Adam| year = 2009| journal = Computer |volume = 42 |issue = 7| pages = 46–54 | doi = 10.1109/MC.2009.270 | first1 = P. |title-link= Robot Scientist |bibcode= 2009Compr..42h..46K |s2cid= 13920692 }}</ref> | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature =  | signature_alt = | website = {{URL|https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/bio/research/systems-biology/king-lab/Pages/default.aspx}} | footnotes = | spouse = }}'''Ross Donald King''' is a [[Professor]] of [[Artificial intelligence|Machine Intelligence]]<ref name="Chalmers">{{cite web | title=Ross King | website=Chalmers | date=2017-12-12 | url=https://www.chalmers.se/en/staff/Pages/rossk.aspx | access-date=2019-11-06}}</ref> at [[Chalmers University of Technology]].<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/0004-3702(95)00122-0| title = Theories for mutagenicity: A study in first-order and feature-based induction| journal = Artificial Intelligence| volume = 85| issue = 1–2| pages = 277–299| year = 1996| last1 = Srinivasan | first1 = A. | last2 = Muggleton | first2 = S.H.| author-link2 = Stephen Muggleton| last3 = Sternberg | first3 = M.J.E.| author-link3 = Michael Sternberg| last4 = King | first4 = R.D.| author-link4 = Ross D. King| doi-access = free}}</ref>

==Education== King completed a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[Microbiology]] at the [[University of Aberdeen]] in 1983 and went on to study for a [[Master of Science]] degree in [[Computer Science]] at the [[Newcastle University|University of Newcastle]] in 1985. Following this, he completed a [[PhD]] at [[The Turing Institute]] at the [[University of Strathclyde]] in 1989<ref name="kingphd">{{cite thesis |degree=PhD |first=Ross|last=King |title=A machine learning approach to the problem of predicting a protein's secondary structure from its primary structure (PROMIS) |publisher=University of Strathclyde |date=1989 |url=http://suprimo.lib.strath.ac.uk/SUVU01:LSCOP_SU:SUALMA2147154800002996 |author-link=Ross D. King}}</ref> for work on developing machine learning methods for [[protein structure prediction]].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King | last2 = Sternberg | first2 = M. J. E. | author-link2 = Michael Sternberg | doi = 10.1016/S0022-2836(05)80333-X | title = Machine learning approach for the prediction of protein secondary structure | journal = Journal of Molecular Biology | volume = 216 | issue = 2 | pages = 441–457 | year = 1990 | pmid = 2254939 }}</ref>

==Research== King's research interests are in the [[Automation|automation of science]], [[drug design]], [[artificial intelligence|AI]], [[machine learning]] and [[Synthetic Biology|synthetic biology]].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King| last2 = Sternberg | first2 = M. J. E. | author-link2 = Michael Sternberg| doi = 10.1002/pro.5560051116 | title = Identification and application of the concepts important for accurate and reliable protein secondary structure prediction | journal = Protein Science | volume = 5 | issue = 11 | pages = 2298–2310 | year = 1996 | pmid = 8931148| pmc =2143286 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1073/pnas.89.23.11322 | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King | last2 = Muggleton | first2 = S. | author-link2 = Stephen Muggleton | last3 = Lewis | first3 = R. A. | last4 = Sternberg | first4 = M. J. | author-link4 = Michael Sternberg | title = Drug design by machine learning: The use of inductive logic programming to model the structure-activity relationships of trimethoprim analogues binding to dihydrofolate reductase | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 89 | issue = 23 | pages = 11322–11326 | year = 1992 | pmid = 1454814 | pmc = 50542 | bibcode = 1992PNAS...8911322K | doi-access = free }}</ref> He is probably best known for the [[Robot Scientist]]<ref name="turing">{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1073/pnas.93.1.438 | last1 = King | first1 = Ross D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King | last2 = Muggleton | first2 = Stephen H. | author-link2 = Stephen Muggleton | last3 = Srinivasan | first3 = A. | last4 = Sternberg | first4 = M. J. | author-link4 = Michael Sternberg | title = Structure-activity relationships derived by machine learning: The use of atoms and their bond connectivities to predict mutagenicity by inductive logic programming | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America | volume = 93 | issue = 1 | pages = 438–442 | year = 1996 | pmid = 8552655 | pmc = 40253 | bibcode = 1996PNAS...93..438K | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="soldatova">{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King | last2 = Liakata | first2 = M. | last3 = Lu | first3 = C. | last4 = Oliver | first4 = S. G. | last5 = Soldatova | first5 = L. N. | title = On the formalization and reuse of scientific research | doi = 10.1098/rsif.2011.0029 | journal = Journal of the Royal Society Interface | volume = 8 | issue = 63 | pages = 1440–1448 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21490004 | pmc =3163424 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Anderson | first1 = Philip W. | author-link1 = Philip Warren Anderson | last2 = Abrahams | first2 = Elihu | doi = 10.1126/science.324_1515c | title = Machines Fall Short of Revolutionary Science | journal = Science | volume = 324 | issue = 5934 | pages = 1515–1516 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19541975 |bibcode = 2009Sci...324.1515A }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Waltz | first1 = David | author-link1 = David Waltz | last2 = Buchanan | first2 = Bruce G. | doi = 10.1126/science.1172781 | title = Automating Science: Computers with intelligence can design and run experiments, but learning from the results to generate subsequent experiments requires even more intelligence | journal = Science | volume = 324 | issue = 5923 | pages = 43–44 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19342574 | s2cid = 36543867 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Stevenson | first1 = R. W. | last2 = Murphy | first2 = J. F. | last3 = Clare | first3 = T. J. | doi = 10.1126/science.324_1014a | title = Robot Inventors: Patently Impossible? | journal = Science | volume = 324 | issue = 5930 | page = 1014 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19460985 }}</ref><ref name="science">{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King | last2 = Rowland | first2 = J. | last3 = Oliver | first3 = S. G. | author-link3 = Stephen Oliver (scientist) | last4 = Young | first4 = M. | last5 = Aubrey | first5 = W. | last6 = Byrne | first6 = E. | last7 = Liakata | first7 = M. | last8 = Markham | first8 = M. | last9 = Pir | first9 = P. | last10 = Soldatova | doi = 10.1126/science.325_945a | first10 = L. N. | last11 = Sparkes | first11 = A. | last12 = Whelan | first12 = K. E. | last13 = Clare | first13 = A. | title = Make Way for Robot Scientists | journal = Science | volume = 325 | issue = 5943 | page = 945 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19696334 |bibcode = 2009Sci...325R.945K | title-link = Robot Scientist }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King | last2 = Rowland | first2 = J. | last3 = Oliver | first3 = S. G. | author-link3 = Stephen Oliver (scientist) | last4 = Young | first4 = M. | last5 = Aubrey | first5 = W. | last6 = Byrne | first6 = E. | last7 = Liakata | first7 = M. | last8 = Markham | first8 = M. | last9 = Pir | first9 = P. | last10 = Soldatova | doi = 10.1126/science.1165620 | first10 = L. N. | last11 = Sparkes | first11 = A. | last12 = Whelan | first12 = K. E. | last13 = Clare | first13 = A. | title = The Automation of Science | journal = Science | volume = 324 | issue = 5923 | pages = 85–89 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19342587 |bibcode = 2009Sci...324...85K | s2cid = 14948753 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King | last2 = Whelan | first2 = K. E. | last3 = Jones | first3 = F. M. | last4 = Reiser | first4 = P. G. K. | last5 = Bryant | first5 = C. H. | last6 = Muggleton | first6 = S. H. | author-link6 = Stephen Muggleton | last7 = Kell | first7 = D. B. | author-link7 = Douglas Kell | last8 = Oliver | first8 = S. G. | author-link8 = Stephen Oliver (scientist) | doi = 10.1038/nature02236 | title = Functional genomic hypothesis generation and experimentation by a robot scientist | journal = Nature | volume = 427 | issue = 6971 | pages = 247–252 | year = 2004 | pmid = 14724639 | title-link = Robot Scientist | bibcode = 2004Natur.427..247K | s2cid = 4428725 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = King | first1 = R. D. | author-link1 = Ross D. King| doi = 10.1038/scientificamerican0111-72 | title = Rise of the Robo Scientists | journal = Scientific American | volume = 304 | issue = 1 | pages = 72–76 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21265330| bibcode = 2011SciAm.304a..72K }}</ref> project which has created a robot that can: * hypothesize to explain observations * devise experiments to test these hypotheses * physically run the experiments using [[laboratory robotics]] * interpret the results from the experiments * repeat the cycle as required

The Robot Scientist can autonomously execute high-throughput hypothesis led research. In addition to automating experimentation Robot Scientists are well suited to recording scientific knowledge: as the experiments are conceived and executed automatically by computer, it is possible to completely capture and digitally curate all aspects of the scientific process. Robot Scientist is the first machine<ref name="science"/><ref name="bbsrc"/> to have been demonstrated to have discovered novel scientific knowledge. A new Robot Scientist ''Eve''<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Wilson | first1 = N. | title = Technology: A robot scientist | doi = 10.1038/nrg1300 | journal = Nature Reviews Genetics | volume = 5 | issue = 3 | page = 164 | year = 2004 | s2cid = 5633301 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="Bilsland Sparkes Williams Moss 2013 p=120158">{{cite journal | last1=Bilsland | first1=Elizabeth | last2=Sparkes | first2=Andrew | last3=Williams | first3=Kevin | last4=Moss | first4=Harry J. | last5=de Clare | first5=Michaela | last6=Pir | first6=Pınar | last7=Rowland | first7=Jem | last8=Aubrey | first8=Wayne | last9=Pateman | first9=Ron | last10=Young | first10=Mike | last11=Carrington | first11=Mark | last12=King | first12=Ross D. | last13=Oliver | first13=Stephen G. | title=Yeast-based automated high-throughput screens to identify anti-parasitic lead compounds | journal=Open Biology | publisher=The Royal Society | volume=3 | issue=2 | year=2013 | issn=2046-2441 | doi=10.1098/rsob.120158 | doi-access=free| pmid=23446112 | pmc=3603448 | article-number=120158}}</ref><ref name="Williams Bilsland Sparkes Aubrey p=20141289">{{cite journal | last1=Williams | first1=Kevin | last2=Bilsland | first2=Elizabeth | last3=Sparkes | first3=Andrew | last4=Aubrey | first4=Wayne | last5=Young | first5=Michael | last6=Soldatova | first6=Larisa N. | last7=De Grave | first7=Kurt | last8=Ramon | first8=Jan | last9=de Clare | first9=Michaela | last10=Sirawaraporn | first10=Worachart | last11=Oliver | first11=Stephen G. | last12=King | first12=Ross D. | title=Cheaper faster drug development validated by the repositioning of drugs against neglected tropical diseases | journal=Journal of the Royal Society Interface | publisher=The Royal Society | volume=12 | issue=104 | date=2015-03-06 | issn=1742-5689 | doi=10.1098/rsif.2014.1289 | pmid=25652463 | pmc=4345494 | article-number=20141289}}</ref><ref name="Bilsland van Vliet Williams Feltham p. ">{{cite journal | last1=Bilsland | first1=Elizabeth | last2=van Vliet | first2=Liisa | last3=Williams | first3=Kevin | last4=Feltham | first4=Jack | last5=Carrasco | first5=Marta P. | last6=Fotoran | first6=Wesley L. | last7=Cubillos | first7=Eliana F. G. | last8=Wunderlich | first8=Gerhard | last9=Grøtli | first9=Morten | last10=Hollfelder | first10=Florian | last11=Jackson | first11=Victoria | last12=King | first12=Ross D. | last13=Oliver | first13=Stephen G. | title=Plasmodium dihydrofolate reductase is a second enzyme target for the antimalarial action of triclosan | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Nature | volume=8 | issue=1 | page=1038 | date=2018-01-18 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/s41598-018-19549-x | pmid=29348637 | pmc=5773535 | bibcode=2018NatSR...8.1038B }}</ref><ref name="Coutant Roper Trejo-Banos Bouthinon pp. 18142–18147">{{cite journal | last1=Coutant | first1=Anthony | last2=Roper | first2=Katherine | last3=Trejo-Banos | first3=Daniel | last4=Bouthinon | first4=Dominique | last5=Carpenter | first5=Martin | last6=Grzebyta | first6=Jacek | last7=Santini | first7=Guillaume | last8=Soldano | first8=Henry | last9=Elati | first9=Mohamed | last10=Ramon | first10=Jan | last11=Rouveirol | first11=Celine | last12=Soldatova | first12=Larisa N. | last13=King | first13=Ross D. | title=Closed-loop cycles of experiment design, execution, and learning accelerate systems biology model development in yeast | journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume=116 | issue=36 | date=2019-08-16 | issn=0027-8424 | doi=10.1073/pnas.1900548116 | pmid=31420515 | pmc=6731661 | pages=18142–18147| bibcode=2019PNAS..11618142C | doi-access=free }}</ref> is designed to automate drug discovery. Eve automates [[high-throughput screening]], hit confirmation, and [[Hit to lead|lead generation]] through [[Quantitative structure–activity relationship|QSAR]] learning and testing. Eve is being applied to the discovery of lead compounds for [[neglected tropical diseases]].

King's research has been funded by the [[Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council|EPSRC]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewPerson.aspx?PersonId=49796 |title=Grants awarded to Ross King by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) }}</ref> and the [[Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council|BBSRC]].,<ref name="bbsrc">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/archive/2009/090402-pr-robot-scientist.aspx |title=2 April 2009 - Robot scientist becomes first machine to discover new scientific knowledge - Media release - BBSRC |archive-date=2013-05-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514063142/http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/archive/2009/090402-pr-robot-scientist.aspx}}</ref> [[European Union]], [[Higher Education Funding Council for Wales|HEFCW]], the [[Royal Academy of Engineering]] and [[Joint Information Systems Committee|JISC]]. He worked at [[Aberystwyth University]] for 15 years then moved to Manchester in January 2012. He left the [[Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester|School of Computer Science]] at the [[University of Manchester]] in 2019 and moved to Chalmers University of Technology.

He has an [[h-index]] of 54 according to [[Google Scholar]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Ross D. King |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=BgZp7XcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao |website=[[Google Scholar]] |access-date=30 April 2022}}</ref>

==Collaborations== In 2000 King was a founder of the spin-out company PharmaDM,<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.pharmadm.com |title = Pharmadm.com}}</ref> which developed data mining tools for the [[pharmaceutical industry]]. The company was based largely on research applying data mining to [[bioinformatics]] and [[chemoinformatics]]. The other scientific founders come from the [[University of Oxford]] and Leuven.

King has also developed an [[algorithm]] for converting [[Genetic code|protein coding]] [[Nucleic acid sequence|DNA sequence]]s into music with Colin Angus of [[The Shamen]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/160632.article |title=Music to my DNA structure |work=Times Higher Education 2001-05-25 |date=25 May 2001 }}</ref> The song ''S2-translation''<ref>{{YouTube|id=gorBU4e-vN8|title="The Shamen - S2 Translation (S2 Protein)"}}</ref> based on this is in the ''Rough Guide to Rock'',<ref>{{cite book |author=Buckley, Peter J. |title=The Rough Guide to Rock (Rough Guides) |publisher=Rough Guides Limited |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-84353-105-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetorock0003unse }}</ref> and was on an album that sold more than 100,000 copies.

==External links== * [http://videolectures.net/ross_d_king Ross D. King] on [[VideoLectures.net]]

==References== {{reflist|2}}

{{Wikinews|Welsh University announces intelligent robot conducting biology experiments}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Ross D.}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Aberdeen]] [[Category:Alumni of Newcastle University]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Strathclyde]] [[Category:Academics of the University of Manchester]] [[Category:Academics of Aberystwyth University]] [[Category:People associated with the Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester]] [[Category:Academic staff of the Chalmers University of Technology]]