Professor Carolyn Bertozzi Receives 2016 NAS Award in the Chemical Sciences

Carolyn Bertozzi, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences, will receive the 2016 NAS Award in Chemical Sciences and $15,000. Bertozzi has been recognized for her invention of a new class of chemical reactions, called bio-orthogonal chemistry, that lets scientists label biomolecules within living cells without disrupting any of the biochemical reactions that are naturally occurring there.

Bertozzi’s groundbreaking methods are now widely used and have allowed scientists to study a variety of biomolecules in living systems in real time. She pioneered the use of bio-orthogonal chemistry in the field of glycobiology, using the technique to study glycans, a type of carbohydrate that decorates the surfaces of cells and changes during inflammation or when a normal cell becomes malignant.

These methods, which have recently been applied to imaging in simple animal models such as zebrafish, are allowing Bertozzi and others to make important insights into intracellular processes responsible for health and disease.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition of the work of my students and postdocs over the years,” Bertozzi told Stanford Report. “Every year the NAS Award shines a spotlight on the central role that chemistry plays in so many branches of science – in my case, biomedical sciences. This is a fantastic boost for those of us making the case that chemical tools and approaches are critical for a better understanding of human biology.

For additional details about this award, please see the NAS website.