Berlin Researchers Congratulate Carolyn R. Bertozzi on Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The biochemist received an honorary doctorate from Freie Universität Berlin in 2014
№ 164/2022 from Oct 05, 2022
Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin were overjoyed to hear that the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 has been awarded to North American biochemist Carolyn Ruth Bertozzi. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Bertozzi what is considered the highest scientific accolade for her work on the development of “click chemistry.” Bertozzi was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Freie Universität’s Department of Chemistry in 2014.
Her fellow chemists in Berlin are delighted to hear that Carolyn R. Bertozzi has won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022, said spokesperson for the German Research Foundation-funded Collaborative Research Center “Dynamic Hydrogels at Biointerfaces” Prof. Dr. Rainer Haag, on Wednesday following the announcement in Stockholm. In a congratulatory email to Bertozzi, Professor Haag wrote, “Initially, we were hoping to see you here in Berlin this week for the symposium – like in 2014, when you received your honorary doctorate. We are deeply honored to have you as a member of our university community.”
Freie Universität Berlin awarded Carolyn R. Bertozzi an honorary doctorate on October 22, 2014. The Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy recognized Bertozzi as one of the “most distinguished chemists of our time” with an honorary doctorate for her achievements in the field of life sciences. In particular, she was celebrated for using highly selective, bioorthogonal reactions to manipulate and track biomolecules in living cells and organisms. Building on work carried out by Freie Universität researcher Werner Reutter, Bertozzi combined azides with fluorescent molecules before introducing these to cells’ glycans. With a new, biocompatible form of “click chemistry,” she was able to use a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction to “click” these azides onto glycans. Bioorthogonal marking such as this allows for specific glycans within cells to be tracked. This method can then, for example, be used to explore how tumors develop. Bertozzi’s work has received great attention on the global stage.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Rainer Haag, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Tel.: +49 30 838-52633, Email: haag@zedat.fu-berlin.de