Nobel Laureate Paul Berg will speak at The University of Memphison threats to biomedical and cell biology research from governmentand the citizenry, the debate on human embryonic stem cell researchand cloning.
Berg is the Robert W. and Vivian K. Cahill Professor of CancerResearch emeritus and director emeritus of the Beckman Center forMolecular and Genetic Medicine at Stanford University and continuesto do research in the Department of Biochemistry.
Berg, one of the principal pioneers in "gene splicing," washonored with the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developingmethods that make it possible to map the structure and function ofDNA, and his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleicacids.
Work on the genetic apparatus that directs the synthesis ofproteins earned him the Eli Lilly Award in Biochemistry in 1959 andthe California Scientist of the Year Award in 1963.
He holds honorary doctoral degrees in science from his almamater, Penn State, the University of Rochester, Yale University,Washington University and Oregon State University.
Presented by the Marcus Orr Faculty Senate Lecture in HigherEducation, the discussion marks the 50th anniversary of thediscovery of DNA.
Delano Black, associate professor of Microbiology and MolecularCell Sciences, applied for and received a grant from PresidentShirley Raines' Academic Enrichment Fund, making the presentationpossible.
The event is co-sponsored by the Faculty Senate,Interdisciplinary Studies and the Department of Microbiology andMolecular Cell Sciences.
The chairperson of every major science department at The U of Mand guest from the Memphis business community are scheduled toattend, according to Black.
He stressed the importance of Berg's lecture to the Memphiscommunity.
"This man's at the cutting edge today in biomedical and cellbiology research," Black said.
Black and his wife, Lynette, an associate professor of English,are retiring this year after 37 and 30 years at The U of M,respectively. He has brought 12 previous Nobel Laureates to campus.Before leaving, he said he wanted to bring one more distinguishedguest to The U of M.
"I love this University and I think it's made such an impact tothe city of Memphis," Black said.
Berg's lecture, "Biotechnology: Confronting the Polity" is freeand open to the public, and will begin at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April17 in the Fogelman Executive Center, room 136.
