Eschenmoser Lecture 2017
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Eschenmoser Lecture 2017 Monday, March 6, 2017, 16:00, Lecture Hall HCI G7 ETH Zurich, Campus Hönggerberg Program 16:00 Introduction and Laudatio 16:15 Prof. Dr. Richard A. Lerner The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, CA The Chemistry of Large Numbers LOC - Laboratory of Organic Chemistry D CHAB Eschenmoser Lecture 2017 – Professor Richard A. Lerner It is the great privilege of into one of the largest nonprofit the ETH Zurich Laboratory of biomedical research organizations Organic Chemistry to welcome in the world – an internationally Professor Richard A. Lerner, the recognized center of chemical Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of biology with a strong focus on Immunochemistry, Cecil H. and Ida converting basic science into usable M. Green Chair in Chemistry, and drugs. He raised substantial funding Institute Professor at the Scripps for the institute in a series of Research Institute (TSRI) in La partnerships with pharmaceutical Jolla, California, to give the 2017 companies, and also oversaw the Eschenmoser Lecture honoring establishment of a sister research contributions of Professor Albert campus, Scripps Florida, in Palm Eschenmoser to the fields of Beach County. When his term as Organic Synthesis and Biological president ended at the end of 2011, Chemistry. Lerner returned to laboratory research. Richard Lerner obtained his undergraduate education at Over his long career, Richard Northwestern University, followed Lerner has made eminent and by an M.D. from Stanford Medical wide‑ranging contributions to the School in 1964. After postdoctoral fields of chemistry and immunology. training with immunologist Frank Exploiting molecular diversity in Dixon at the Scripps Clinic and chemical and biological systems Research Foundation, Lerner joined is the thread that runs through his the faculty of the Wistar Institute many research accomplishments. in Philadelphia for several years These achievements include before returning to Scripps. In utilization of peptides to create 1982, he was appointed chairman synthetic vaccines, development of the Department of Molecular of selectable ‘libraries’ of venoms Biology, assuming directorship toward new drugs, and – with of the institute five years later. In biologist Sydney Brenner – invention 1991, when TSRI was established as of DNA‑encoded libraries. The a nonprofit entity, Lerner became latter exploit an informational its first president. Under his 25‑ biomolecule, DNA, to encode year stewardship, Scripps grew the identity and synthetic route Eschenmoser Lecture 2017 – Professor Richard A. Lerner a synthetic immune system in the test tube have also opened new vistas, enabling advances in the use of antibodies as therapeutic tools to prevent and treat immune disorders, degenerative diseases, and many cancers. The ability to create fully humanized antibodies by phage display paved the way for development of blockbuster monoclonal antibody drugs like Humira (BASF and Cambridge Antibody Technologies) and to billions of small molecules in Benlysta (GlaxoSmithKline and combinatorial compound libraries. Human Genome Sciences) for the These have become a widely used treatment of rheumatoid arthritis tool in academic research and drug and lupus, respectively. Many more discovery. therapeutic products are under development or in clinical trials. Lerner is perhaps best known for his efforts to harness the Richard Lerner has been widely power of the immune system to recognized for his pioneering generate catalysts and high‑affinity achievements and for his powerful receptors. His groundbreaking advocacy of the role of chemistry work on catalytic antibodies, at the interfaces to biology and for example, capitalized on the biomedicine. Along with Peter specificity and diversity of this Schultz, he was awarded the 1994 natural protein‑generating system Wolf Prize in Chemistry for work to produce antibody molecules with on catalytic antibodies. In 2012, he tailored chemical reactivities and and Greg Winter received the Prince specificities. Catalysis of chemical of Asturias Award for conception transformations thought impossible and development of combinatorial using classical techniques captured antibody libraries. Among other the imagination of chemists and distinctions, he has received biologists alike. His efforts to create the Parke‑Davis Award (1978), Eschenmoser Lecture 2017 – Professor Richard A. Lerner the San Marino Prize (1990), the California Scientist of the Year Award (1996), the University of O H2N California Presidential Medal H2N O (2002), and the Paul Ehrlich and H2N O CH3 Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize (2003). CH3 Professor Lerner is on the editorial O H3C CN boards of several research journals, H3C N N + O Co NH2 and has been elected to many H H N 2 N N prestigious scientific societies, CH3 boards, and academies, including CH3 the Royal Swedish Academy CH3 CH3 of Sciences and the National O Academy of Sciences. He is also NH O 2 the recipient of honorary degrees NH O from the Technion – Israel Institute N CH3 H3C P of Technology (2001), Ben‑Gurion O H - O OH O N University of the Negev (2003), CH3 Florida Atlantic University (2004), O the University of Oxford (2007), and HO University of Warwick (2010). LOC Laboratory of Organic Chemistry www.loc.ethz.ch D-CHAB Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences www.chab.ethz.ch © ETH Zurich, March 2017.