Alexander Rich
Encyclopedia
Alexander Rich, MD
(American
; born 15 November 1924 in Hartford, Connecticut
) is a biologist
and biophysicist. He is the William Thompson Sedgwick
Professor of Biophysics at MIT
(since 1958) and Harvard Medical School
. Dr. Rich earned both an A.B. (magna cum laude) and an M.D. (cum laude) from Harvard University
. He was a post-doc of Linus Pauling
along with James Watson
. He has over 600 publications to his name.
Rich is married to Jane Erving and they have four chilren: Benjamin E., Josiah D., Rebecca B.,
Jessica J.
Rich is the founder of Alkermes and has been its director since 1987. Dr. Rich is Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Repligen Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Profectus BioSciences, Inc. He also serves on the editorial board of Genomics
and the Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics.
In 1963, Rich discovered polysome
s: clusters of ribosome
s which read one strand of mRNA simultaneously.
In 1979, Rich and co-workers at MIT grew a crystal
of Z-DNA
. This was the first crystal structure
of any form of DNA
. After 26 years of attempts, Rich et al. finally crystallised the junction box of B- and Z-DNA. Their results were published in an October 2005 Nature
journal. Whenever Z-DNA forms, there must be two junction boxes that allow the flip back to the canonical B-form of DNA.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
(American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; born 15 November 1924 in Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
) is a biologist
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
and biophysicist. He is the William Thompson Sedgwick
William Thompson Sedgwick
William Thompson Sedgwick was a key figure in shaping public health in the United States.William T...
Professor of Biophysics at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(since 1958) and Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
. Dr. Rich earned both an A.B. (magna cum laude) and an M.D. (cum laude) from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He was a post-doc of Linus Pauling
Linus Pauling
Linus Carl Pauling was an American chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, and educator. He was one of the most influential chemists in history and ranks among the most important scientists of the 20th century...
along with James Watson
James D. Watson
James Dewey Watson is an American molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, best known as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick...
. He has over 600 publications to his name.
Rich is married to Jane Erving and they have four chilren: Benjamin E., Josiah D., Rebecca B.,
Jessica J.
Rich is the founder of Alkermes and has been its director since 1987. Dr. Rich is Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Repligen Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Profectus BioSciences, Inc. He also serves on the editorial board of Genomics
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...
and the Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics.
In 1963, Rich discovered polysome
Polysome
Polyribosomes also known as ergosomes are a cluster of ribosomes, bound to a mRNA molecule, first discovered and characterized by Jonathan Warner, Paul Knopf, and Alex Rich in 1963. Many ribosomes read one mRNA simultaneously, progressing along the mRNA to synthesize the same protein...
s: clusters of ribosome
Ribosome
A ribosome is a component of cells that assembles the twenty specific amino acid molecules to form the particular protein molecule determined by the nucleotide sequence of an RNA molecule....
s which read one strand of mRNA simultaneously.
In 1979, Rich and co-workers at MIT grew a crystal
X-ray crystallography
X-ray crystallography is a method of determining the arrangement of atoms within a crystal, in which a beam of X-rays strikes a crystal and causes the beam of light to spread into many specific directions. From the angles and intensities of these diffracted beams, a crystallographer can produce a...
of Z-DNA
Z-DNA
Z-DNA is one of the many possible double helical structures of DNA. It is a left-handed double helical structure in which the double helix winds to the left in a zig-zag pattern...
. This was the first crystal structure
Crystal structure
In mineralogy and crystallography, crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms or molecules in a crystalline liquid or solid. A crystal structure is composed of a pattern, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way, and a lattice exhibiting long-range order and symmetry...
of any form of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
. After 26 years of attempts, Rich et al. finally crystallised the junction box of B- and Z-DNA. Their results were published in an October 2005 Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
journal. Whenever Z-DNA forms, there must be two junction boxes that allow the flip back to the canonical B-form of DNA.
List of awards and prizes received
- a member of the National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(appointed 17 April 1978) - a member of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
- a member of the Philosophical Society
- a member of the French Academy of SciencesFrench Academy of SciencesThe French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
- a member of the Institute of MedicineInstitute of MedicineThe Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
- a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of U.S. Genomics, Inc.
- President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
recognized his outstanding scientific achievements with the National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of ScienceThe National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
in 1995. - The Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science (2000)
- 2001 William Procter Prize for Scientific AchievementWilliam Procter Prize for Scientific AchievementThe William Procter Prize for Scientific Achievement is an award given by Sigma Xi, a scientific-research honor society. The Procter Prize is presented annually to a scientist who has made an outstanding contribution to scientific research and has demonstrated an ability to communicate the...
- 2008 Welch Award in Chemistry: "For outstanding contributions to the understanding of the chemical and biochemical mechanisms in maintaining a living cell".
Awards and prizes
- Sigma Xi Proctor Prize, Raleigh, NC (2001)
- Bower Award and Prize, the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA (2000)
- National Medal of Science, Washington, DC (1995)
- Linus Pauling Medal, American Chemical Society, Northwest Sections (1995)
- Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award in Basic Biomedical Research, Brandeis Univ., Waltham, MA (1983)
- James R. Killian Faculty Achievement Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1980) *Presidential Award, New York Academy of Science, New York, NY (1977)
- Theodore van Karmen Award for Viking Mars Mission, Washington, DC (1976)
- Skylab Achievement Award, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (1974)
Academies
- Foreign Member, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia (1994)
- Honorary Member, Japanese Biochemical Society, Tokyo, Japan (1986)
- Foreign Member, French Academy of Sciences, Paris, France (1984)
- Honorary Doctorate, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1981)
- American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA (1980)
- Pontifical Academy of Sciences (1978)
- National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC (1970)
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC (1965)
- Fellow, Guggenheim Foundation (1963)
- Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston, MA (1959)
- Fellow, National Research Council, Washington, DC (1949-51).
External links
- Rich Laboratory website
- Letter from Francis Crick to Alexander Rich (5 December 1974)