Global Innovation Technologist Awards

The cell is the site of a constant, complex, and orderly set of chemical changes collectively called metabolism . Metabolism is associated with a release of heat. The heat released is the same as that obtained if the same chemical change is brought about outside the living organism. This confirms the fact that the laws of thermodynamics apply to living systems just as they apply to the inanimate world. The pattern of chemical change in a living cell, however, is distinctive and different from anything encountered in nonliving systems. This difference does not mean that any chemical laws are invalidated. It instead reflects the extraordinary complexity of the interrelations of cellular reactions. Hormones , which may be regarded as regulators of metabolism, are investigated at three levels, to determine (1) their physiological effects, (2) their chemical structure, and (3) the chemical mechanisms whereby they operate. The study of the physiological effects of hormones is properly rega...

The best thing about studying chemistry and biochemistry is that you master the science of the matter around you and how they interact with living things. The best thing about studying chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Northern Iowa is that you’ll get to do so much more than learn advanced techniques and develop as a scientist . From day one, you’ll be immersed in experiences and impactful research that’ll take you far as a graduate. The University of Northern Iowa is the best in the US Midwest, ranking second in the “Top Public Schools Regional University (Midwest)” category (US News & World Report). At its Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry , you will experience the full impact of UNI’s legacy of excellence since its founding in 1876. Built on decades of experience, the department is where professors and staff know what it takes to provide the most impactful in-class and out-of-class activities that will prepare students to be successful graduates. Class ...

Monica Neugebauer , an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who works to identify enzymes that enable chemical reactions in living things and engineer them to be more efficient or work in new processes, is one of 20 scientists in the United States named a 2024 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering . “These scientists and engineers are the architects of tomorrow, leading innovation with bold ideas and unyielding determination,” says Nancy Lindborg, president and chief executive officer of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. “Their work today will be the foundation for the breakthroughs of the future, inspiring the next wave of discovery and invention.”The prestigious fellowship for early-career researchers includes $875,000 over five years to be used at the fellows see fit to best advance their research . Neugebauer, who joined UW–Madison’s Biochemistry Department in 2023, discovers and engineers novel enzymes with functions beyond what ...

Parent bodies of C-type asteroids may have brought key volatile and organic-rich compounds to the terrestrial planets in the early stages of the Solar System . At the end of 2020, the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission successfully returned samples from Ryugu, providing access to a primitive matter that has not suffered terrestrial alteration. Here we report the discovery of a peculiar class of grains, up to a few hundreds of micrometres in size, that have a hydrated ammonium–magnesium–phosphorus (HAMP)-rich composition. Their specific chemical and physical properties point towards an origin in the outer Solar System , beyond most snow lines, and their preservation along Ryugu history. These phosphorus-rich grains, embedded within an organic-rich phyllosilicate matrix, may have played a major role when immersed in primitive terrestrial water reservoirs. In particular, in contrast to poorly soluble calcium-rich phosphates, HAMP grains favour the release of phosphorus-rich and nitrogen-rich ionic s...

Computational biologist David Baker, professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine and director of the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design , has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design. He shares the Nobel Prize with Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper of DeepMind, who were honored for protein structure prediction. The award, announced today , Oct. 9, by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, will be presented in a ceremony Dec. 10 in Stockholm. "Joining the ranks of Nobel Laureates is a testament to David Baker's dedication and innovation ," said University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce. "The University of Washington is proud to be a place that fosters groundbreaking and impactful research , and extends its heartfelt congratulations to David on this remarkable recognition." “I am thrilled that David Baker has been named a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry ,” said Dr. Timothy Dellit, ...

Researchers from IOCB Prague are furthering the understanding of how medicines work and what it takes to develop their most effective variants. In one current study, they have focused on the disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, especially because of the recent appearance of strains that are resistant to conventional treatment. In an effort to find a new weak spot of this parasite, the research group led by Dr. Evžen Bouřa has succeeded in preparing a key enzyme complex – the proteasome. This has made it possible to gain knowledge that is indispensable for the development of new effective medicines. The research was carried out in collaboration with colleagues from the University of California San Diego. An article presenting the work has been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The proteasome is a complex protease that works as a device for recycling old proteins in cells. It is a cylindrical enzyme complex composed of seven subunits ...

St. Bonaventure University alumnus Dr. Jordan Powers, ’18, will return to campus Thursday, Oct. 10, to discuss his Ph.D. thesis research on how plants defend themselves against bacterial pathogens. The program, “Next-generation mapping of the salicylic acid signaling hub and transcriptional cascade,” will be held at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in the auditorium of Walsh Science Center. His visit is sponsored by the university’s Visiting Scholars Committee and Department of Biology and is free and open to the public. Powers received his Ph.D. from Duke University in 2024, where he studied in Dr. Xinnian Dong’s research lab and identified the partners and targets of the key immune regulator NPR1. He is now a postdoctoral researcher in the same lab. Powers earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from SBU, where conducted research in Dr. Xiao-Ning Zhang’s lab to understand the role SR45 and alternative splicing have in plant immunity. The 2018 Bonaventure Ideal Man, Powers was a member of the ...