Heinrich-Emanuel-Merck Award for Analytical Chemistry goes to Norman J. Dovichi

Canadian researcher receives prize of DM 25,000 - Breakthroughin large-scale DNA sequencing - Award of prize at the Analyticain Munich Darmstadt/Munich (PROTEXT) - This year's Heinrich-Emanuel-Merck Award for Analytical Chemistry goes to Professor Norman J.Dovichi from the University of Alberta in Canada. The 45-year-oldDovichi receives the award for his work in the field of fast,large-scale DNA sequencing, in which he has made a specialbreakthrough. The analysis of the human genome is today performedpredominantly according to the method developed by Dovichi. Hewas presented the award, which is worth DM 25,000, by Dr. Klaus-Dieter Franz, Head of Central Analysis at Merck, and ProfessorDr. Manfred Grasserbauer, Technical University of Vienna, speakerof the jury, on 12 April during a symposium on the occasion ofthe Analytica Conference in Munich. In his laudation Grasserbauer highlighted the importance ofDovichi's work in the field of DNA research. He stated that theapproach realised by Dovichi's work group represents a truebreakthrough in the sequencing of the human genome. Over ninety-five percent of the entire human genome has been sequenced thisyear by means of the method developed by Dovichi. (Nucleic AcidsResearch, 1999, "Multicapillary electrophoresis system for small-scale DNA sequencing and analysis"). Norman J. Dovichi is Professor at the Institute of Chemistry,University of Alberta, Canada. He was born on 12 April 1954 andis a US and Canadian citizen. Following his Degree in Chemistryand Mathematics at North Illinois University he was conferred aPh.D. in Analytical Chemistry by the University of Utah for hiswork on "Thermal lens calorimetry". Dovichi's research interestsinclude highly sensitive chemical analysis and bioanalyticalchemistry. His outstanding research results have already beenhonoured by a great many national and international institutions. The Heinrich-Emanuel-Merck Award for Analytical Chemistry wasinitiated by Merck in 1988 for the promotion of chemical-analytical research. It commemorates the first standardisation ofanalytical methods described by the Merck chemist Dr. Karl Kraucharound a century ago in his book on "The Testing of the Purity ofChemical Reagents". The award bears the name of the founder ofthe company Heinrich-Emanuel Merck, who laid down the company'sphilosophy of quality with his declaration "I shall alwaysguarantee the purity of my preparations". The Award is intended for scientists who are working on newmethods in chemically oriented analysis and their application inthe field of life sciences. List of previous winners: 1988 - Prof. Hiraide, Japan, Prof. Wolfbeiss, Austria 1990 - Dr. Bidlingmaier, USA, Prof. Nießner, Germany 1993 - Prof. Amirav, Israel 1996 - Prof. Harrison, Canada, Prof. Manz, Great Britain 1998 - Prof. Zenobi, Switzerland ots Original Text Service:Merck KGaA Internet: http://recherche.newsaktuell.de ContactBarbara Bennier Tel. +49 6151 72 2579 Fax +49 6151 72 7707 E-mailbarbara.bennier@merck.de E-mail: pressestelle@merck.de Internethttp://www.merck.de

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