Home / Top Stories / Prelog Medal Awarded to JoAnne Stubbe
Prelog Medal Awarded to JoAnne Stubbe
Congratulations to MIT chemistry Professor JoAnne Stubbe for winning the 2009 PreLog Medal, an award given annually by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (also known as ETH-Zurich) to one individual who has contributed significantly to the area of stereochemistry within the field of organic chemistry. With this honor, Professor Stubbe joins an extremely selective group of distinguished chemists which includes several Nobel Laureates.
According to ETH-Zurich, this award was given to Professor Stubbe for her work on understanding how ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) work. An explanation of her research by ETH-Zurich is described here:
RNRs are enzymes that convert ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. Through meticulously designed experiments, Professor Stubbe established a unifying mechanism for ribonucleotide reductases in which a protein-based thiyl radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from the ribonucleotide 3’-position, initiating formation of nucleotide radicals that are ultimately reduced by a pair of cysteine thiols at the enzyme active site. In addition to revealing the utility of radicals for achieving otherwise difficult chemical transformations, this work has contributed directly to the development of drugs such as gemcitabine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Similarly, Professor Stubbe unraveled the mechanism by which the antitumor antibiotic bleomycin exploits Fe2+ and O2 to mediate double stranded DNA cleavage. Further research interests include enzymes involved in purine biosynthesis, pathways for assembling iron-based cofactors, and the mechanism of polymerases that produce biodegradable polyester polymers. This broad scientific program has yielded more than 250 publications. It reflects boundless curiosity, extraordinary experimental prowess, and an indefatigable drive to produce outstanding science.
In addition to the PreLog medal, Professor Stubbe also recently received the National Medal of Science, another extremely selective honor given by the National Science Foundation. Go here to read more about Professor Stubbe’s exciting resesarch!
Photo source: http://web.mit.edu/biochemistry/people.htm