Norman Richard Pace Jr. (born 1942) is an American

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

, and is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

. He is principal investigator at the Pace lab.

Early life and education

Pace was born and raised in rural Indiana. When he was a high school student, Pace attended a summer science program at Indiana University in which he worked in the laboratory of microbiologist Dean Fraser. His participation led to a co-authorship on a scientific paper. He graduated with honors in 1964 from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

with an A.B., and later from the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

in 1967 with a Ph.D.Alternate Link
via

ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...

. At Illinois, Pace worked under the guidance of

Sol Spiegelman Sol Spiegelman (December 14, 1914 – January 21, 1983) was an American molecular biologist. He developed the technique of nucleic acid hybridization, which helped to lay the groundwork for advances in recombinant DNA technology. Early life and ...

. After receiving his PhD in 1967, Pace remained at Illinois for the next two years as a post doctoral fellow.

Career

In 1969, Pace moved to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

and simultaneously held teaching positions at both the National Jewish Hospital and Research Center and the University of Colorado Medical Center for three years as an Assistant Professor of Biophysics and Genetics. In 1975, Pace was promoted to Associate Professor of Biophysics and Genetics at the University of Colorado Medical Center and he dropped his affiliation with the National Jewish Hospital. In 1982, Pace was promoted to a full Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Genetics. In 1984, he moved to

as a Professor of Biology and was named Distinguished Professor of Biology in 1992. In 1994 he was named Distinguished Professor of Biology and Chemistry. In 1996, Pace moved to

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

as a Professor of Plant and Microbial Biology, and Molecular and Cell Biology for a stay of three years before being recruited to the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1999 as a Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB). He was named Distinguished Professor of MDCB in 2008. He was bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Indiana University on May 4, 2018, and gave the inaugural Norman R. Pace Lecture on May 7, 2018. He has worked with the

NASA Astrobiology Institute The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) was established in 1998 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) "to develop the field of astrobiology and provide a scientific framework for flight missions." In December 2019 the institute' ...

Research

Pace's research involved the synthesis, structure, and function of

RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...

and the application of

molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

tools to problems in environmental microbial biology.

Personal life

Pace married, divorced, and later remarried Bernadette Pace, a PhD microbiologist and a professional

trapeze artist A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

Awards

* 1987 Lew Bicking Award * 1991 Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

* 1991 Member of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

* 2001

Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology The Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "in recognition of excellence in the field of microbiology." Named after Selman Waksman, it was first awarded in 1968. A $5000 prize is included in t ...

of the

* 2001

MacArthur Fellows Program The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 ind ...

* 2007 Abbott-American Society for Microbiology Lifetime Achievement Award * 2008 RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award * 2008 International Society of Microbial Ecology Tiedje Award for Lifetime Achievement * 2017

Massry Prize The Massry Prize was established in 1996, and until 2009 was administered by the Meira and Shaul G. Massry Foundation. The Prize, of $40,000 and the Massry Lectureship, is bestowed upon scientists who have made substantial recent contributions in ...

* 2018 Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Indiana University * 2019 Stanley Miller Medal

References

External links

Pace lab''The Atlantic'' - The Man Who Blew The Door Off The Microbial World
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pace, Norman R 1942 births Living people American biochemists Indiana University alumni University of Illinois alumni Indiana University faculty University of California, Berkeley faculty University of Colorado faculty University of Colorado Boulder faculty MacArthur Fellows Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences