Harry B. Gray Explained

Harry Gray
Birth Name:Harry Barkus Gray
Birth Date:November 14, 1935
Birth Place:Woodburn, Kentucky, U.S.
Field:Chemistry
Work Institution:Columbia University
California Institute of Technology
Doctoral Advisor:Fred Basolo, Ralph Pearson
Doctoral Students:
Notable Students:Undergrads: Post-docs:
Known For:Bioinorganic Chemistry
Electron Transfer chemistry
Photochemistry

Harry Barkus Gray (born November 14, 1935) is the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology.[2]

Career

Gray received his B.S. in chemistry from Western Kentucky University in 1957. He began his work in inorganic chemistry at Northwestern University, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1960 working under Fred Basolo and Ralph Pearson. He was initiated into the Upsilon chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma at Northwestern University in 1958.[3] After that, he spent a year (1960–61) as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Copenhagen,[4] where, along with Walter A. Manch, he collaborated with Carl J. Ballhausen on studies of the electronic structures of metal complexes.[5] [6]

After completing his NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Copenhagen, he relocated to New York City to take up a faculty appointment at Columbia University. He served as an assistant professor from 1961 to 1963 and as an associate professor from 1963 to 1965.

In 1966, he became the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology, and founding director of the Beckman Institute.[7] He also served on the Physical Sciences jury for the Infosys Prize from 2010 to 2013.

Gray also trained future leaders of several major science research universities. Four of his doctoral students became presidents or chancellors of University of Rhode Island, Iowa State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Washington University in St. Louis.[8]

Research

Gray's interdisciplinary research program addresses a wide range of fundamental problems in inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics. Electron transfer (ET) chemistry is a unifying theme for much of this research.

Over the past twenty-five years the Gray group has been measuring the kinetics of long-range ET reactions in metalloproteins labeled with inorganic redox reagents. Early research by his lab members showed that details of the internal structures of the proteins dominate the ET rates.[9] Current research is aimed at understanding how intermediate protein radicals accelerate long-range ET. In collaboration with Jay R. Winkler of the Beckman Institute at Caltech they have developed new techniques for measuring ET rates in crystals of Ru-, Os-, and Re-modified azurins, as well as crystals of Fe(III)-cytochrome c doped with Zn(II)-cytochrome c.[10] This method of integrating photosensitizers into protein crystals has provided a powerful new tool for studying biochemical reaction dynamics.[11] The Gray/Winkler group is also using ET chemistry to probe the dynamics of protein folding in cytochrome c.[12]

Major publications

Awards and honors

His accolades include:

Wolf Prize

He was awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2004 for his pioneering work in bioinorganic chemistry, unraveling novel principles of structure and long-range electron transfer in proteins.[26] [27]

Gray has made generative contributions to the understanding of chemical bonding of metal complexes, mechanisms of inorganic reactions, spectroscopy and magneto-chemistry of inorganic compounds. His study of the first trigonal prismatic complexes is one such example. Harry Gray's most significant work lies at the interface between chemistry and biology. As a pioneer of the important and thriving field of bioinorganic chemistry, he has made many key contributions, the most important of which is the development of fundamental understanding of electron transfer in biological systems, at the atomic level.[28]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Harry B. Gray - www.cce.caltech.edu. Cce.caltech.edu. February 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20170810170306/http://www.cce.caltech.edu/content/harry-b-gray. August 10, 2017. dead.
  2. Web site: Harry B. Gray. California Institute of Technology. October 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170810170306/http://www.cce.caltech.edu/content/harry-b-gray. August 10, 2017. dead.
  3. Web site: Educational Foundation - Alpha Chi Sigma. Alphachisigma.org. February 14, 2015.
  4. Web site: Dr. Harry B. Gray (Inducted in 1995). Western Kentucky University. October 25, 2016.
  5. Book: Avery. John. Dahl. Jens Peder. Hansen. Aage E.. Understanding Molecular Properties a Symposium in Honour of Professor Carl Johan Ballhausen, held at The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, April 4 and 5, 1986. 1987. Springer Netherlands. Dordrecht. 978-94-009-3781-9. ix–x. October 25, 2016.
  6. Web site: Francis Clifford Phillips Lecture Series 1986 Phillips Lecturer Brief Biography of Harry Gray, California Institute of Technology. Phi Lambda Upsilon Xi Chapter, University of Pittsburgh. October 25, 2016. November 17, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20021117230318/http://www.pitt.edu/~plu/pl/gray.htm. dead.
  7. Web site: Harry B. Gray. Beckman Institute Laser Resource Center. October 25, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170810212026/https://www.bilrc.caltech.edu//index.php?module=webpage&var1=16. August 10, 2017. dead.
  8. Leading By Example . E&S Magazine . May 6, 2015 . California Institute of Technology.
  9. Beratan. Betts. JN. Onuchic. JN. 1991. DN. Protein electron transfer rates set by the bridging secondary and tertiary structure. Science. 252. 5010. 1285–8. Sciencemag.orgaccessdate=June 18, 2013. 10.1126/science.1656523. 1656523. 1991Sci...252.1285B. etal.
  10. Winkler. Jay R.. Gray. Harry B.. Electron flow through biological molecules: does hole hopping protect proteins from oxidative damage?. Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics. July 16, 2015. 48. 4. 411–420. 10.1017/S0033583515000062. 4793975. 26537399.
  11. Tezcan. F. Akif. Crane. Brian R.. Winkler. Jay R.. Gray. Harry B.. Electron Tunneling in Protein Crystals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2001. 98. 9. 5002–5006. 3055554. 10.1073/pnas.081072898. 11296248. 2001PNAS...98.5002A. 33153. free.
  12. Mines. Gary A.. Pascher. Torbjörn. Lee. Sonny C.. Winkler. Jay R.. Gray. Harry B.. Cytochrome c folding triggered by electron transfer. Chemistry & Biology. June 1996. 3. 6. 491–497. 10.1016/S1074-5521(96)90097-6. 8807879. free.
  13. Web site: ACS Award in Pure Chemistry. American Chemical Society. January 18, 2014.
  14. News: 1979 Richard C. Tolman Award Recipient Harry B. Gray California Institute of Technology. October 25, 2016. SCALACS. 1979–1980.
  15. Web site: The President's National Medal of Science: Recipient Details. National Science Foundation. October 25, 2016.
  16. Web site: Harry Gray. National Medal of Science. October 25, 2016.
  17. News: People: Caltech Chemist Wins AIC Gold Medal For His Studies Of Electron Transfer. October 25, 2016. The Scientist. April 2, 1990.
  18. News: People Briefs. October 25, 2016. The Scientist. July 9, 1990.
  19. Web site: Harvey Prize. Technion. October 25, 2016.
  20. Web site: Harry Gray | Royal Society.
  21. Theopold. Klaus H.. The 2004 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry presented to Harry B. Gray. Journal of the Franklin Institute. September 2005. 342. 6. 586–591. 10.1016/j.jfranklin.2005.04.015.
  22. News: Perry. Jill. Professor Harry Gray Awarded Wolf Prize. October 25, 2016. Caltech News. January 22, 2004.
  23. Rovner. Sophie L.. Harry Gray Wins Welch Award Caltech professor recognized for achievement in basic research. Chemical & Engineering News. May 25, 2009. 87. 212. 8. October 25, 2016.
  24. Web site: Fraternity - Awards - Hall of Fame - Alpha Chi Sigma. Alphachisigma.org. February 14, 2015.
  25. Web site: Othmer Gold Medal. March 22, 2018. Science History Institute. 31 May 2016.
  26. Jacoby. Mitch. AWARDS Harry Gray Wins Wolf Prize In Chemistry. Chemical & Engineering News. January 26, 2004. 82. 4. October 25, 2016.
  27. Web site: Beckman Institute Laser Resource Center. Bilrc.caltech.org. February 14, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20080907123252/http://bilrc.caltech.edu/BILRC-HBG/HBG_CV.pdf. September 7, 2008. dead.
  28. Web site: תוצאות חיפוש - פרס וולף. Simply-Smart. Wolffund.org.il. February 14, 2015.

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