Raymond Urgel Lemieux,
CC,
AOE,
FRS (June 16, 1920 – July 22, 2000) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
organic chemist
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J. ...
, who pioneered many discoveries in the field of
chemistry, his first and most famous being the
synthesis of
sucrose.
His contributions include the discovery of the
anomeric effect
In organic chemistry, the anomeric effect or Edward-Lemieux effect is a stereoelectronic effect that describes the tendency of heteroatomic substituents adjacent to a heteroatom within a cyclohexane ring to prefer the ''axial'' orientation instea ...
and the development of general methodologies for the synthesis of saccharides still employed in the area of
carbohydrate chemistry
Carbohydrate chemistry is a subdiscipline of chemistry primarily concerned with the detection, synthesis, structure, and function of carbohydrates. Due to the general structure of carbohydrates, their synthesis is often preoccupied with the selec ...
.
He was a fellow of the
Royal Society of Canada and the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
(England), and a recipient of the prestigious
Albert Einstein World Award of Science
The Albert Einstein World Award for Science is an annual award given by the World Cultural Council "as a means of recognition and encouragement for scientific and technological research and development", with special consideration for researches ...
and
Wolf Prize
The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of nati ...
in Chemistry.
Life and career
''Dr. Raymond U. Lemieux'' was born in
Lac La Biche, Alberta
Lac La Biche ( ) is a hamlet in Lac La Biche County within northeast Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately northeast of the provincial capital of Edmonton. Previously incorporated as a town, Lac La Biche amalgamated with Lakeland Count ...
, Canada. His family moved to
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
in 1926. He studied chemistry at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
and received a BSc with Honours in Chemistry in 1943. He went on to study at
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
, where he received his PhD in
Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, ...
in 1946. He won a post-doctoral
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholars ...
at
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
, where
Bristol Laboratories Inc. sponsored his research on the structure of
streptomycin
Streptomycin is an antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections, including tuberculosis, ''Mycobacterium avium'' complex, endocarditis, brucellosis, ''Burkholderia'' infection, plague, tularemia, and rat bite fever. F ...
. He met his future wife, a doctoral student, at Ohio State and they were married in 1948.
In following years, he returned to Canada where he spent two years as an
assistant professor
Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada.
Overview
This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree
A docto ...
at the
University of Saskatchewan
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
. Next he served as Senior Research Officer at the
National Research Council National Research Council may refer to:
* National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development
* National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome
* National Research Council (United States), part of ...
's
Prairie Regional Laboratory in
Saskatoon
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as th ...
. In 1953 he and a fellow researcher, George Huber, were the first scientists to successfully synthesize
sucrose. In 1954, he accepted the position of
Dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
in the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at the
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottaw ...
, where he established their Department of Chemistry. In 1961 he returned to the University of Alberta as a professor in the Chemistry Department and to serve as the chairman of the Organic Chemistry Division. He developed a method to make synthetic versions of
oligosaccharides
An oligosaccharide (/ˌɑlɪgoʊˈsækəˌɹaɪd/; from the Greek ὀλίγος ''olígos'', "a few", and σάκχαρ ''sácchar'', "sugar") is a saccharide polymer containing a small number (typically two to ten) of monosaccharides (simple suga ...
, which led to improved treatments for
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
and
hemophilia and the development of new
antibiotics
An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention o ...
,
blood reagents, and
organ anti-rejection drugs.
While at the University of Alberta, he established a number of biochemical companies, including R&L Molecular Research Ltd. in 1962, Raylo Chemicals Ltd. in 1966 (which purchased R&L) and Chembiomed in 1977 (which has since been taken over by Synsorb Biotech of
Calgary, Alberta.) Prof. Lemieux published an autobiography, entitled "''Explorations with Sugars: How Sweet It Was''," in 1990.
Dr. Raymond Lemieux died of an aneurysm in 2000.
In 1999, the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
Faculty of Science and
Strathcona County
Strathcona County is a specialized municipality in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region within Alberta, Canada between Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. It forms part of Census Division No. 11.
Strathcona County is both urban and rural in ...
established the Strathcona County/R.U. Lemieux Chair in Carbohydrate Chemistry. In 2001, the University of Alberta renamed the building(s) housing the Department of Chemistry to the Gunning/Lemieux Chemistry Centre to acknowledge the contributions of Profs. Raymond Lemieux and
Harry Gunning
Harry Emmet Gunning, (December 16, 1916 – November 24, 2002) was a Canadian scientist and administrator.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Master of Arts degree, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1942 f ...
.
Awards
Dr. R.U. Lemieux received numerous awards and honours for his work in chemistry:
* Induction into the Royal Society of Canada (1954)
* C.S. Hudson Award of the American Chemical Society (1966)
* Became the first western Canadian to be elected a fellow of the Royal Society (England) (1967)
* Appointed Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the cen ...
(1968)
* Haworth Award and Medal (1983)
* The Tishler Award, Harvard University (1983)
*
Gairdner Foundation International Award
The Canada Gairdner International Award is given annually by the Gairdner Foundation at a special dinner to five individuals for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a ...
(1985)
* Made Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Stockholm (1988)
* Induction into the
Alberta Order of Excellence
The Alberta Order of Excellence (french: Ordre d'excellence de l'Alberta) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Alberta. Instituted in 1979 when Lieutenant Governor Frank C. Lynch-Staunton granted royal assent to the Alberta O ...
(1990)
*
King Faisal International Prize
The King Faisal Prize ( ar, جائزة الملك فيصل, formerly King Faisal International Prize), is an annual award sponsored by King Faisal Foundation presented to "dedicated men and women whose contributions make a positive difference". T ...
for Science (first Canadian) (1990)
*
NSERC
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC; french: Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada, CRSNG) is the major federal agency responsible for funding natural sciences and engineering rese ...
Gold Medal in Science (1991)
*
Albert Einstein World Award of Science
The Albert Einstein World Award for Science is an annual award given by the World Cultural Council "as a means of recognition and encouragement for scientific and technological research and development", with special consideration for researches ...
(1992)
* Made Companion of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the cen ...
(1994)
*
Wolf Prize
The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of nati ...
in Chemistry (1999)
Notable former trainees
*''David R. Bundle'', former postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Lemieux, currently professor of chemistry, the Raymond U. Lemieux Chair in Carbohydrate Chemistry, and a distinguished university professor at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
, founder and former director of the
Alberta Glycomics Centre (formerly known as
Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Science). http://www.chem.ualberta.ca/~glyco/who/index.htm
*''Ole Hindsgaul'', former PhD student with Prof. Lemieux, currently a distinguished professor at the
Carlsberg Laboratory
The Carlsberg Research Laboratory is a private scientific research center in Copenhagen, Denmark under the Carlsberg Group. It was founded in 1875 by J. C. Jacobsen, the founder of the Carlsberg brewery, with the purpose of advancing biochemic ...
, Copenhagen, Denmark, and an adjunct professor, Department of Chemistry,
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
, Canada. http://www.crc.dk/carbochem/oledraft2.htm
Personal
Raymond's daughter Janet Lemieux
was Canadian champion soccer player and was inducted to the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame in 2021.
See also
*
Lemieux-Johnson oxidation
*
Anomeric effect
In organic chemistry, the anomeric effect or Edward-Lemieux effect is a stereoelectronic effect that describes the tendency of heteroatomic substituents adjacent to a heteroatom within a cyclohexane ring to prefer the ''axial'' orientation instea ...
*
Carbohydrate chemistry
Carbohydrate chemistry is a subdiscipline of chemistry primarily concerned with the detection, synthesis, structure, and function of carbohydrates. Due to the general structure of carbohydrates, their synthesis is often preoccupied with the selec ...
References
Further reading
The Alberta Order of Excellence Member ProfileScience.ca ProfileRemembering Dr. Lemieux (article)Order of Canada: Raymond U. Lemieux
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemieux, Raymond
1920 births
2000 deaths
Albert Einstein World Award of Science Laureates
Canadian chemists
Organic chemists
Scientists from Alberta
Companions of the Order of Canada
Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence
People from Lac La Biche County
University of Alberta alumni
University of Alberta faculty
Wolf Prize in Chemistry laureates
Canadian Fellows of the Royal Society
McGill University Faculty of Science alumni
Ohio State University alumni
20th-century Canadian scientists
20th-century chemists
Canadian expatriates in the United States