ARTICLE
Chancellor Blumenthal is delighted to announce that Harry Noller, professor emeritus of molecular, cell and developmental biology, has won the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his paradigm-shifting work on the ribosome. The award will be presented tonight during a star-studded live televised ceremony airing on the National Geographic Channel at 7 p.m. PT. Co-founded in 2013 by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki, Yuri Milner, Julia Milner, Mark Zuckerberg, and Priscilla Chan, the Breakthrough Prize honors transformative research and discovery in the sciences and mathematics. Noller, who joined the faculty in 1968, has spent more than 50 years investigating the function and structure of the ribosome, which he calls "the mothership of life." His monumental contributions include revealing how these complex molecular machines build the proteins in all living cells. His work also paved the way for the development of new antibiotics that may prove effective against germs that have become resistant to current drugs. He has held the Robert L. Sinsheimer Endowed Chair in Molecular Biology since 1987. This recognition is extremely well deserved, and it couldn't go to a nicer man. In this moment of celebration, it's worth noting that Harry spent years swimming against the tide, gathering evidence that ultimately proved the breakthroughs that are being recognized tonight. Harry's early work challenged conventional wisdom—that only proteins were capable of catalyzing biochemical reactions—and was met with skepticism, sometimes dismissal. But he persisted, doggedly chasing puzzling lab results in pursuit of greater understanding. Harry has said being an untenured assistant professor on the young campus of UC Santa Cruz probably helped his work, because there were no faculty titans to squelch his ideas. He was free to follow the science wherever it led. Here's to Harry's spirit of inquiry, his determination, and his success, which benefits us all. Please join me for a campuswide reception in Harry's honor on Friday, December 9, at noon in the plaza outside the Science and Engineering Library. But don't wait until Friday to congratulate Harry on this outstanding recognition of his life's work; you can use this form to send him an online greeting. The campus has prepared a multimedia tribute to Harry that includes an overview of his research, a profile, a video, and our news office's press release about the 2017 Breakthrough Prize. A one-hour version of tonight's ceremony will air on FOX and the National Geographic Channel on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. PT.