089-SA-99 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UC IRVINE PROFESSOR ALEXANDER MCPHERSON RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NASA MEDAL FOR 'EXCEPTIONAL' ACHIEVEMENT
Experiments Aboard Space Shuttle and Mir Provide New Understanding of Molecules and Their Use in Developing Improved Drugs, Crop Products
Irvine, Calif., June 30, 1999 -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) today is presenting one of its most prestigious awards to Alexander McPherson, a UC Irvine professor of molecular biology and biochemistry whose space-based experiments in protein crystallization are helping scientists gain new knowledge of the structure of molecules.
In ceremonies at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin will present McPherson with the "Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal," which is being awarded to just three scientists this year.
McPherson, a faculty member in UCI's School of Biological Sciences, is considered the nation's foremost authority in an area of research known as macromolecular crystallization. Many molecules, including those that serve as the foundation of proteins and viruses, grow in three-dimensional crystal forms; McPherson is studying such crystals in an effort to determine the precise molecular structures of proteins and viruses. Gaining a better understanding of these crystals could lead to advancements in biotechnology applications in medicine and agriculture, including more effective drugs and improved crops.
McPherson's research requires large, high-quality molecular crystals unblemished by Earth's gravity, which causes distortion and sedimentation. To produce such crystals, McPherson since 1985 has sent protein samples on more than a dozen flights of NASA's space shuttle, which provides an ideal microgravity environment for growing large, uniform crystals that can then be analyzed back on Earth.
"I wasn't even told that I had been nominated, so of course I was very surprised and pleased when I learned about this award," McPherson said. "But it's truly not just my award. Many people are a part of this research, and they are all co-recipients of the award."
McPherson was nominated for the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal by Arnauld E. Nicogossian, associate administrator of NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Sciences and Applications. In his nomination, Nicogossian said McPherson "has literally written the book on macromolecular crystal growth." Nicogossian cited numerous examples of how McPherson's work has increased researchers' understanding of the growth and function of molecules, including how his research group was the first to report a protein-DNA complex--an important step in understanding the genetic expression of cells--as well as the first to show the structure of an intact antibody molecule.
Nicogossian also noted that McPherson serves as principal researcher for NASA's efforts to understand the effects of gravity on the crystal growth process. In addition to the space shuttle, McPherson has conducted experiments on the Russian space station Mir, and his laboratory at UCI serves as a hub for scientific cooperation among scientists from the United States, Canada, France, Russia, Japan and Germany.
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