In the estimation of the American Institute of Chemists, Harry Gray's studies of electron transfer have outpaced those of all his competitors to earn him a Gold Medal this year. Gray, the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry and director of the Beckman Institute at the California Institute of Technology, has been selected to receive AIC's 1990 Gold Medal.
Gray, 54, was cited by AIC for his studies of inorganic chemistry and chemical reactions involved in electron transfer, a fundamental process that is responsible for energy storage and conversion in all living cells. "It's an extremely nice honor," says Gray. "The people who have gotten this are great chemists [and people whom] I respect very much. They are all outstanding scientists."
Gray's experiments have shown that electrons can jump across at least 30 atoms in a large protein molecule in less than one millionth of a second. "[Previously] people believed ...
