DETROIT-On Monday, April 28, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wayne State University will host two Nobel Laureates of Chemistry at the Inaugural Ahmed H. Zewail Gold Medal Award and ceremony in WSU's Community Arts Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Dr. Roger Kornberg, 2006 Chemistry Nobel Laureate and professor of Structural Biology at Stanford University Medical School, will receive the 2008 Ahmed H. Zewail Gold Medal to be presented by WSU's President Irvin D. Reid.
Dr. Kornberg was the first scientist to create a picture of how transcription, a process necessary for all life to exist, works at a molecular level in the important group of organisms called eukaryotes. In order for the body to make use of information stored in genes, a copy must be made and transferred to the outer parts of the cells. There it is used to instruct protein production and construct the organism and its function. If this transcription process stops, genetic information is no longer transferred into the different parts of the body, and the organism dies within days. Many illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and different kinds of inflammation are also linked to disturbances in the transcription process.
Dr. Kornberg will discuss how his contributions allows us to now see detailed pictures of the new RNA-strand gradually developing, as well as the role of several other molecules necessary for transcription. His work allows us to distinguish separate atoms and understand the mechanisms of transcription and how it is regulated.
Dr. Ahmed H. Zewail is the 1999 Chemistry Nobel Laureate, and the Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics and the Director of the Physical Biology Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology (UST) and the NSF Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (LMS) at California Institute of Technology.
Professor Zewail was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering developments in the field of femtoscience, making it possible to observe the movement of the individual atoms in a femtosecond, a split second that is a millionth of a billionth of a second. Such a development-which literally changed the view of the dynamics of matter-holds great promise in the areas of technology and life sciences. Currently his research interests include the biological sciences, the complexity of molecular function and the new development of ultrafast diffraction for the imaging of transient structures in space and time with atomic-scale resolution.
The program is sponsored by WSU's Office of the President and Office of the Vice President for Research. The program's purpose is to bring distinguished scientists to Wayne State University to convey the excitement of science to undergraduate and graduate students, and to the public at large.
"Wayne State University is pleased to host this distinguished lecture with Drs. Zewail and Kornberg," said Dr. Hilary Ratner, Vice President for Research. "Their discoveries have made a significant impact in revolutionizing science, allowing scientists to more easily investigate and make predictions. This is an exciting event for the public and students at Wayne State University and throughout southeastern Michigan to meet two scientists who are inspiring and have made a real impact on the science community," added Ratner.
Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.