Dr. Max Bedding
Ph. D., University of Sydney, 2024
B. Sc., University of Sydney, 2019
Max was born and raised in the inner suburbs of Sydney. He attended the University of Sydney, where he earned his B. Sc. in 2019, graduating with Honours and the University Medal. During this time, he pursued the total synthesis of antimycobacterial nonribosomal peptide natural products. He then earned his Ph. D., also at USYD, under the supervision of Professor Rich Payne. His doctoral research focused on developing methods for site-selective modification of proteins with a focus on the unique reactivity of selenocysteine, the 21st amino acid. Max then made the jump across the Pacific to land in the U.S. and join the MacMillan lab. When he’s not in the lab, Max enjoys hiking, running, going to the beach, and cooking (especially pasta).
Fun Facts
- Max is an avid hiker and once summited the 10 tallest mountains in Australia in a single expedition. Anyone who has seen said mountains will know that this is much less impressive than it sounds.
- Max has a strong dislike for raw tomatoes, however, will often eat raw bell peppers whole, a snacking practice which has raised eyebrows among his friends and colleagues.
- During his undergrad, Max worked at a camping store and briefly considered pursuing surface chemistry to develop superhydrophobic tent flies.
- Max is a diehard supporter of the Sydney Swans, an Aussie rules football (footy) team. Since moving to the US, he’s decided to support the Philadelphia Eagles.