1999 Wolf Prize Awarded to Raymond U. Lemieux
Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The 1999 Wolf Prize in Chemistry will be conferred on Raymond U.
Lemieux, Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta, Canada by the
president of the State of Israel, Mr. Ezer Weizman, in a special
ceremony, at the Knesset (parliament) on Sunday, May 2nd,
1999.
The Prize Committee unanimously decided that the 1999 Wolf Prize
in Chemistry would be awarded to Raymond U. Lemieux, 78, Professor
Emeritus, University of Alberta, Canada, "for his fundamental
and seminal contributions to the study and synthesis of oligosaccharides
and to the elucidation of their role in molecular recognition in
biological systems."
The committee cited that:- Raymond U. Lemieux's seminal
contributions to the chemistry of carbohydrates, stretching over
close to half a century, have led to a transformation of the discipline;
the study of which is now universally recognized as being of immense
importance in chemistry and biology. Lemieux has had an exceptional
ability to focus quickly and clearly on the basic questions, in an
area whose critical biological significance he addressed before others,
and to produce original conceptual frameworks and experimental tools
to deal with them. This ability and his many achievements have provided
the pillars upon which present-day oligosaccharide chemistry and
biochemistry now rest.
Inter alia, Lemieux pioneered many methodologies and concepts,
which have become ‘tools of the trade’ in areas far beyond those
of his original innovations. These include:
-
The introduction of NMR as a tool for the determination of anomeric
stereochemistry of oligosaccharides; his experimental work was
the basis for the famous Karplus correlations.
-
His discovery and formulation of the endo- and exo-anomeric
effects and their importance in influencing the relative stabilities
and reactivities of anomeric structures. Although the anomeric
effect was originally identified in pyranoid rings, its relevance
to conformation analysis of gemially hetero-atom substituted
carbon chains was immediately obvious.
-
His development of synthetic methods for assembly of oligosaccharides
under stereochemical control at the anomeric carbon, which laid
the foundation for the work of many others who followed his innovations.
-
His landmark synthetic work on human blood group antigenic determinants,
which became possible as a result of his work on stereochemical
control and its subsequent medical applications.
-
His immensely important work in establishing the central role
of carbohydrate structures in molecular recognition in biological
systems and the essential role of (solvent) water in the energetics
of oligosaccharide-protein interactions.
With vigor and originality, Lemieux has led the field of Carbohydrate
Chemistry and Biochemistry, addressing the problems of structure,
synthesis and function of polymeric carbohydrates.
His extraordinary contributions to the study of the chemistry of
carbohydrates, stretching over half a century, have led to a transformation
of the discipline; his achievements have provided the pillars upon
which present-day oligosaccharide chemistry and biochemistry now
rest.
Lemieux received his B.Sc. degrees from the University
of Alberta and his Ph.D. from McGill
University. He served as a Senior Research Officer at Canada's
National Research Council until 1954. From 1954-61, he was
affiliated with the University
of Ottawa and from 1961 until his retirement in 1985, Lemieux
was chairman of the Division of Organic Chemistry, at the University
of Alberta.
About the Wolf Prize
The Wolf Prize was established in 1978, by the late German-born
Ricardo Wolf inventor, diplomat and philanthropist and his wife Francisca
Subirana-Wolf. Dr. Wolf, who lived in Cuba for many years, served
as Fidel Castro’s ambassador to Israel from 1961-1973. When Cuba
severed ties with Israel in 1973, Dr. Wolf decided to stay on in
Israel where he spent his final years. The Israel-based Wolf Prize
is awarded to outstanding scientists and artists, "for achievement
in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples".
The annual prizes, of $100,000 in each area, are given in four out
of five scientific fields, in rotation: Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics,
Medicine and Physics. In the Arts, the prize rotates among Architecture,
Music, Painting and Sculpture.
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