American Chemical Society honors Tadhg P. Begley for contributions to study of biological processes

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Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Tadhg P. Begley, the Robert A. Welch Chair and Derek Barton Professor in Chemistry at Texas A&M University, has been recognized with the American Chemical Society (ACS) 2016 Repligen Corporation Award in Chemistry of Biological Processes for his career contributions to the mechanistic enzymology of vitamin (cofactor) biosynthesis.

Established in 1985 and administered by the ACS Division of Biological Chemistry, the annual award honors select members “for outstanding contributions to the understanding of biological processes, with particular emphasis on structure, function and mechanism.”

Begley will be presented with the award, which includes a silver medal and an honorarium, at the 251st ACS National Meeting, to be held August 21-15 in Philadelphia.

Begley, a world-class chemist, joined the Texas A&M Department of Chemistry faculty in 2009 following a distinguished 23-year career at Cornell University. His research involves an innovative combination of molecular biology, protein biochemistry, organic synthesis and structural studies to explore the mechanistic enzymology of vitamin biosynthesis. He has made important contributions to our understanding of the biosynthesis of thiamin, NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme found in all living cells), molybdopterin, menaquinone, pyridoxal, cobalamin, coenzyme A and the deazaflavin F420. In the course of this research he has uncovered a treasure trove of new chemistry demonstrating nature’s versatility in assembling these key metabolites.