JoAnne Stubbe

Stubbe studied chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania (Bachelor 1968) and in 1971 received his doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley, in organic chemistry. She was a post - doctoral student at Brandeis University ( 1975-1977 ).

Stubbe taught from 1972 to 1977 at Williams College and from 1977 to 1982 at the School of Medicine at Yale University. From 1983 she was a professor at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She is Professor of Biology and Chemistry (Novartis Professor of Chemistry ) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she has worked since 1987.

They explained to the function and structure of Ribonukleotidreduktasen ( RNR ), which play a role in the conversion of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides in DNA replication. This resulted in an anti -cancer agent ( gemcitabine ), which, for example, pancreatic cancer is used. They determined the structure and function of the DNA damaging the antibiotic bleomycin, which is also used as the cancer drug.

More recently, they investigated the enzymes of bacteria that can be used for the manufacture of biodegradable plastics. They insulated with her group a first such enzyme (PHA synthase) and examined the constructed by the enzyme polymers.

In 2010 she received the Welch Award in Chemistry. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. In 2008 she received the National Medal of Science for her research into enzymes that play an important role in the repair and replication of DNA.

In 2008 she received the NAS Award in Chemical Sciences, 2008 Kaiser Award, 2009 Nakanishi Award, 1986 Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry, 1993 Cope Scholar Award, 2009, the Prelog Medal, the 1997 Alfred Bader Award in Bioorganic and Bioinorganic Chemistry and 1989, the ICI - Stuart Award for Excellence in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.