AWARDS
ACS Division of Biological Chemistry Awards The ACS Division of Biological Chemistry will present three awards at the joint meeting of the division with the American Society of Biological Chemists in Washington, D.C., June 8-12. These awards are the Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry (established in 1934) to be presented to James E. Rothman; the Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry (established in 1945) to be presented to JoAnne Stubbe; and the Repligen Award in the Chemistry of Biological Processes (established last year) to be presented to Gregorio Weber. Vignettes of these awardees follow. JAMES E. ROTHMAN of Stanford University is the winner of the Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry. The bronze medal award is given annually to an individual who has done outstanding research in the field of biological chemistry and who has not passed the 38th birthday by April 30 of the year of the award. Rothman is recognized for his contributions to our understanding of the mechanisms by which cells distribute newly synthesized proteins to their correct compartmental locations. Most of this protein sorting occurs in the specialized subcellular organelle, the Golgi apparatus. Rothman and his coworkers have mapped the compartmental organization and functions of this complex system of stacked, distinct membrane-bound layers, and have succeeded in reconstituting in a cellfree system the budding and fusion of the transport vesicles that appear to carry proteins between the layers of the Golgi stacks. This has opened the way to the isolation of proteins and enzymes that are involved in these fundamental cell biological processes. One such enzyme has been purified and characterized. Termed "uncoating ATPase," the enzyme uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to remove the "coat" from newly formed vesicles—the "coat"
Rothman
Stubbe
Weber
initially being required to pinch the vesicle off from the Golgi membrane system. Rothman received his B.A. from Yale College in 1971 with physics as his major. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard medical school in 1976 for his thesis work on the properties and biosynthesis of asymmetrical lipid bilayers in biological membranes. After two years of postdoctoral work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology studying the mechanism by which proteins are assembled into lipid bilayers during their biosynthesis, he joined the faculty at Stanford where he is a professor in the biochemistry department.
DNA biosynthesis, the conversion of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides. Stubbe and her coworkers proposed that the reaction catalyzed by the two classes of enzymes—one containing a binuclear iron center and a tyrosine radical, the other adenosylcobalamin as cofactors—proceeds by a similar radical cation mechanism, and have succeeded in providing strong support for this mechanism by synthesizing and studying the effect of substrate analogs and mechanism-based inhibitors on the enzymes and the reaction parameters. Stubbe has also contributed to our understanding of other radicalbased mechanisms involved in nucleotide metabolism and DNA staJOANNE STUBBE of the Universi- bility. The studies of key analogs ty of Wisconsin is the winner of the such as the mechanism-based rePfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry. agents 2'-chloro-2'-deoxyuridine This gold medal award is given an- disphosphate and 2'-azido-2'-deoxnually to an individual who has ynucleotides in her mechanism done outstanding work in enzyme work have led to a broad program of chemistry and who has not passed design and synthesis of nucleotide the 40th birthday by April 30 of the analogs with potential antitumor, year of the award. antivirus, and antiparasite activity. Stubbe has made notable contriStubbe received her undergradubutions to our understanding of the ate training in chemistry at the Unimechanisms of enzyme catalysis versity of Pennsylvania, and her and has synthesized a broad spec- Ph.D. in chemistry at the University trum of important nucleotide deriv- of California, Berkeley, in 1971 for a atives. A major focus of her work has thesis on the mechanism of the pybeen on the mechanism of two class- ruvate kinase and enolase reactions. es of nucleotide reductases, en- She held faculty positions in the zymes that catalyze the key step in chemistry department of Williams April 28, 1986 C&EN
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Awards College and in the pharmacology department at Yale, before she took her present position as professor in the biochemistry department at the University of Wisconsin. GREGORIO WEBER of the University of Illinois will receive the Repligen Award in the Chemistry of Biological Processes. This award is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the understanding of the chemistry of biological processes, with particular emphasis on structure, function, and mechanism. Weber is recognized for his work in developing the theory and techniques of fluorescence spectroscopy, and his pioneering use of these new approaches to the elucidation of macromolecular structure and function. Weber's early work includes the demonstration of fluorescence quenching in molecular complexes of the fluorescence of aromatic amino acids, and of electronic energy transfer among the aromatic amino acids in proteins. These discoveries led to important new insight into protein structure and protein-ligand interactions, including the first detection of nanosecond scale fluctuations in protein structure, and a new general approach to the thermodynamics of multiple ligand
binding. Weber and his coworkers' development of the theory and methods of fluorescence polarization and their introduction of new, extrinsic long-lifetime fluorescent probes, permitted the determination of the rotational diffusion of macromolecules up to 106 MW, and established the use of the fluorescence of small molecules to probe membrane dynamics. Weber's most recent research focus has been to explore- fundamental properties of proteins and protein-ligand complexes through the effect of high pressure. His theoretical and practical contributions have provided the basis for numerous developments and new understanding in biochemistry and biophysics. Weber received his M.D. from the University of Buenos Aires and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cambridge University. He was a faculty member in biochemistry and biophysics at Sheffield University before becoming professor of biochemistry at the University of Illinois in 1962, where he has also been a professor in the Center for Advanced Studies since 1971. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and a corresponding member of the National Academy of Exact Sciences of Argentina. D
Richard N. Zare has received the Michelson-Morley Award, the highest scientific honor of the Case Institute of Technology, for his contributions in laser chemistry. Zare, a professor of chemistrv at Stanford University, introduced the laser to chemistry and has conceived new ways to use laser light to understand and control chemical reactions. Zare's work has earned him international recognition, including the National Medal of Science, Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburg Award, Fersenius Award, Michael Polanyi Medal, Earle K. Pyler Prize of the American Physical Society, and the Irving Langmuir Award. The $5000 award and plaque is presented annually to a scientist or engineer for scientific achievement and for contributions to the advancement of knowledge and human welfare.
CMA Catalyst Awards
Fourteen outstanding chemistry teachers are winners of the Chemical Manufacturers Association's Catalyst Awards. These annual awards honor teachers of chemistry and chemical engineering in high schools, two-year and four-year colleges. Six teachers have won national awards: William F. Coleman, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.; David K. Lavallee, Hunter College, New York, N.Y.; Y. A. Liu, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Va.; Ethel L. Schultz, Marblehead High School, Marblehead, Mass.; Joseph A. Schwarcz, Vanier College, Montreal, Que., Canada; Lee R. Summerlin II, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala. thors for their paper on "Polycarbonates Each of the six will receive $1500, a medDerived from o-Nitrobenzyl Glycidyl al, and citation. Eight educators from two-year colArnold O. Beckman, chairman of Beck- Ether: Synthesis and Radiation Sensitileges or high schools are regional award man Instruments, received the Richard vity." winners: Carcv L. Chan, East Los AngeC. Tolman Medal last week from the Southern California Section. The award Zoltan A. Schelley, professor of chemis- les Colleges, Monterey Park, Calif.; Jerrecognizes broad accomplishments in try at the University of Texas, Arling- ry R. Kent, Hazen High School, Renton, chemistry, and current, continuing con- ton, has received the 1986 Wilfred T. Wash.; Otto Phanstiel, Episcopal High tributions to the field of chemistry. This Doherty Award of the Dallas-Fort School, Jacksonville, Fia.; Arlyne M. is the 50th anniversary of Beckman In- Worth sections. Schelley was honored Sarquis, Miami University, Middlestruments, and the 75th anniversary of for his outstanding contributions to the town, Ohio; Marie C. Sherman, Ursuthe Southern California Section. Beck- theory of relaxation kinetics, dynamics line Academy, St. Louis; Patricia H. man, founder of Beckman Instruments, of colloidal systems, and chemical insta- Suter, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Tex.; David R. Weill III, Shady Side is recognized internationally as a scien- bilities and bifurcations. Academy Senior School, Pittsburgh; tist, educator, business and civic leader, and philanthropist. Bradford R. Stanerson, retired ACS ex- Vera Zdravkovich, Prince George's Community College, Largo, Md. Each ecutive secretary, was recently honored The Arthur K. Doolittle Award of the by Sigma Xi for his special contributions will receive $500, a medal, and citation. The CMA Catalyst Award program, Polymeric Materials Science & Engi- to the society. Sigma Xi, the scientific neering Division was presented to J. M. research society, is celebrating its cen- now 30 years old, recognizes the imporJ. Frechet (University of Ottawa), F. M. tennial this year. Members of the society tance of science education and honors Houlihan (AT&T Bell Labs), and C. G. gathered from throughout the conti- the teaching profession. Winners are Willson (IBM Research Lab, San Jose, nent on April 11 at Cornell University chosen and rewarded for their excelCalif.) during the'ACS New York meet- to celebrate the beginning of the cen- lence as teachers of chemistry and chemical engineering. ing. The award was given to these au- tennial jubilee.
Special recognition to . . .
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