Tony Burgess developed theoretical procedures to use Simulated force-fields for improving our understanding of protein folding. Subsequently, he achieved the first-ever purification of a protein controlling the growth of white blood cells (granulocytemacrophage colony stimulating factor, GM-CSF). He was the first to observe that haemopoietic growth factors activate mature blood cells and co-discovered a second haemopoietic growth factor - G-CSF. His group cloned GM-CSF, developing both recombinant mouse and human GM-CSF and the clinical use of GM-CSF in improving blood cell production in cancer patients. His studies on the receptor for GM-CSF have developed a novel explanation for the identical biological effects of different blood cell growth factors.
