Martin Humphries: Attached to adhesion

I nteractions with extracellular matrix proteins such as fi bronectin infl uence cell locomotion, survival, and even growth. At the crux of all these activities sit integrins, transmembrane receptors that pass environmental information into the cell and also modulate the cell's interactions with the exterior milieu. Appreciation and understanding of integrins' importance continues to grow, but both the identity and nature of these receptors were once complete mysteries. Martin Humphries made important contributions toward early efforts at characterizing cell interactions with fi bronectin (1, 2). Later, he found himself at the center of efforts to characterize the mechanisms regulating ␤1 integrin affi nity and ligand binding (3, 4). Now, he's mapping out how integrin signaling modulates a multitude of cellular processes (5), as he explained when we reached him at his office at The University of Manchester in the UK. What set you on the path to becoming a scientist? There are a number of pivotal moments in anybody's career where, through serendipity, you end up undergoing a transformational change in your life. For me, the fi rst of these moments was an examination I took at age 11 in the UK, which determined what kind of high school I went to. I was lucky that I did so well on that exam that I got a scholarship to Nottingham High School. It turned out that the ethos of that school was perfect for me, and it set me on an academic path. My best subject in high school was art, but it was the enthusiasm of a young biology teacher that really inspired me to apply to universities to study for a biochemistry degree. Did you have any other role models in the sciences while growing up? Not really. Neither of my parents had been to university, and they didn't try to force my brother and me into anything. Actually, my wife, who is a science teacher, and I have tried to do the same thing with our kids. I also do this with the faculty and students I advise. I believe it is best to create a supportive environment that allows an individ-ual's wishes and ambitions to develop, rather than trying to shape them too closely. I hope my wife and I have been successful at that. Our elder daughter is now an architect, which I think is great because architecture represents a combination of science and art …