Robert H. Burris
Encyclopedia
Robert H. Burris was a professor in the Biochemistry
Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
in 1961. Research in Burris's lab focused on enzyme
reaction mechanisms, and he made significant contributions to our knowledge of nitrogen fixation
.
, Burris earned his B.S. degree in Chemistry at South Dakota State University
in 1936 and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1940.
at Columbia University
, and later moved back to Madison
, eventually becoming a professor in the Biochemistry Department. He was chairman of the Department from 1958 to 1970. He retired from active research in 1984, having trained more than 70 doctoral research students.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The 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...
in 1961. Research in Burris's lab focused on enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
reaction mechanisms, and he made significant contributions to our knowledge of nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia . This process is essential for life because fixed nitrogen is required to biosynthesize the basic building blocks of life, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA and...
.
Education
Born in Brookings, South DakotaBrookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher...
, Burris earned his B.S. degree in Chemistry at South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University is the largest university in the U.S. state of South Dakota, located in Brookings. A public land-grant university and sun grant college, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act...
in 1936 and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1940.
Career
He did postdoctoral research with Harold UreyHarold Urey
Harold Clayton Urey was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and later moved back to Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, eventually becoming a professor in the Biochemistry Department. He was chairman of the Department from 1958 to 1970. He retired from active research in 1984, having trained more than 70 doctoral research students.
Awards and distinctions
- 1961 – Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
- 1975 – Fellow 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...
- 1979 – 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...
- 1984 – John J. Carty Award of the National Academy of Sciences in agricultural science
- 1985 – Wolf AwardWolf Prize in AgricultureThe Wolf Prize in Agriculture is awarded once a year by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and the Arts...
in agriculture - 1989 – Kenneth A. Spencer Award for Meritorious Achievement in Agricultural and Food Chemistry