Globe article-mito researcher wins grant

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'Genius' has its $500,000 MacArthur awards

Three Hub residents among 23 recipients

By Beth Daley, Globe Staff | September 28, 2004

An MIT scientist who borrows nature's ideas to construct tiny

electronic devices and a Harvard doctor racing to understand the

complex world of energy metabolism are among three local " MacArthur

geniuses " announced today.

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The 24th annual MacArthur Fellowship, a $500,000 no-strings-attached

prize, is known for acknowledging creative and undiscovered thinkers

in a wide range of fields. The entire process, from nomination to

finalist, is secret until the recipients receive a phone call, a

conversation that one Boston recipient said yesterday he thought at

first was a prank.

" It was a shock and continues to be a real big shock, " said Dr. Vamsi

Mootha, 33, of Harvard Medical School. " I thought it was a prank. It

was a very odd, surreal conversation. "

The Boston-based recipients are Mootha, an assistant professor of

systems biology at Harvard Medical School studying metabolism;

Belcher, 37, an MIT materials scientist who merges nature and

electronics; and Amy , 41, an MIT instructor who invents simple

technologies to solve problems in the poorest places on earth.

There were three other New Englanders among the 23 recipients

nationally: C. D. , 55, a Brown University poet; Gretchen

Berland, 40, a Yale University doctor-filmmaker; and Hurst,

29, a graduate student and archaelogical illustrator in New Haven.

Mootha says he will probably use the money to study rare metabolic

disorders that could shed light on more common illnesses. Mootha, who

also starts on Oct. 1 as an assistant professor of medicine at

Massachusetts General Hospital, specializes in the structures

responsible for energy metabolism: the mitochondria.

Almost every year, Boston has at least one MacArthur recipient; last

year six of the 24 recipients were based in the Boston area. The

funding comes from the Chicago-based D. and T.

MacArthur Foundation.

The prize, delivered in checks over five years, cannot be applied

for. The selection process involves several hundred " nominators, "

hundreds of nominees, and a 12-member selection committee.

" They are anonymous, too, " said J. Socolow, director of the

MacArthur Fellows Program. Other recipients this year included a Bard

College sculptor and a California high school debating coach. " The

reason for all the confidentiality isn't to hide, it's to protect the

program, to remain as frank and objective as possible. "

Belcher, 37, who was on a tight work deadline when the call came,

said she was rendered speechless. A nanotechnology specialist, she

uses structures found in nature to improve manmade devices that can

result in self-assembling metal films and wires. For example, when

she was a graduate student, she realized that abalone use proteins to

build super-strong shells from calcium carbonate. She, in turn,

replicates such natural processes to improve manmade devices that

manufacture materials on a microscopic scale.

Belcher is still considering how she will spend the money, but

expects she may extend her work into the fields of medicine or energy

and look for ways to encourage children to become interested in

science.

" I'd like to figure out how I can contribute to the community around

Cambridge, " she said. , who teaches in MIT's mechanical

engineering department, invents technologies that can solve vexing

problems in developing countries, such as low-cost water

purification. A Lexington native and MIT grad, she worked in the

Peace Corps in Botswana for four years before deciding to tackle some

of hurdles she saw people experience every day. , who says her

work is perpetually underfunded, is eager to do more field work, such

as bringing a simple grain-grinding mill machine she developed to

Haiti.

" We can make a lot more progress, " she said.

Beth Daley can be reached by e-mail at bdaley@...

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.

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[Guest guest]

WOW! this is great - even hearing of one person who is interested in studying diseases of energy metabolism - this is a reason to celebrate!

-----Original Message-----From: Gwen Abele Sent: Tuesday, September 28, 2004 9:02 PMTo: Mito Subject: Globe article-mito researcher wins grant'Genius' has its $500,000 MacArthur awards Three Hub residents among 23 recipientsBy Beth Daley, Globe Staff | September 28, 2004An MIT scientist who borrows nature's ideas to construct tiny electronic devices and a Harvard doctor racing to understand the complex world of energy metabolism are among three local "MacArthur geniuses" announced today.ADVERTISEMENT The 24th annual MacArthur Fellowship, a $500,000 no-strings-attached prize, is known for acknowledging creative and undiscovered thinkers in a wide range of fields. The entire process, from nomination to finalist, is secret until the recipients receive a phone call, a conversation that one Boston recipient said yesterday he thought at first was a prank."It was a shock and continues to be a real big shock," said Dr. Vamsi Mootha, 33, of Harvard Medical School. "I thought it was a prank. It was a very odd, surreal conversation."The Boston-based recipients are Mootha, an assistant professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School studying metabolism; Belcher, 37, an MIT materials scientist who merges nature and electronics; and Amy , 41, an MIT instructor who invents simple technologies to solve problems in the poorest places on earth.There were three other New Englanders among the 23 recipients nationally: C. D. , 55, a Brown University poet; Gretchen Berland, 40, a Yale University doctor-filmmaker; and Hurst, 29, a graduate student and archaelogical illustrator in New Haven.Mootha says he will probably use the money to study rare metabolic disorders that could shed light on more common illnesses. Mootha, who also starts on Oct. 1 as an assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, specializes in the structures responsible for energy metabolism: the mitochondria.Almost every year, Boston has at least one MacArthur recipient; last year six of the 24 recipients were based in the Boston area. The funding comes from the Chicago-based D. and T. MacArthur Foundation.The prize, delivered in checks over five years, cannot be applied for. The selection process involves several hundred "nominators," hundreds of nominees, and a 12-member selection committee." They are anonymous, too," said J. Socolow, director of the MacArthur Fellows Program. Other recipients this year included a Bard College sculptor and a California high school debating coach. "The reason for all the confidentiality isn't to hide, it's to protect the program, to remain as frank and objective as possible."Belcher, 37, who was on a tight work deadline when the call came, said she was rendered speechless. A nanotechnology specialist, she uses structures found in nature to improve manmade devices that can result in self-assembling metal films and wires. For example, when she was a graduate student, she realized that abalone use proteins to build super-strong shells from calcium carbonate. She, in turn, replicates such natural processes to improve manmade devices that manufacture materials on a microscopic scale.Belcher is still considering how she will spend the money, but expects she may extend her work into the fields of medicine or energy and look for ways to encourage children to become interested in science."I'd like to figure out how I can contribute to the community around Cambridge," she said. , who teaches in MIT's mechanical engineering department, invents technologies that can solve vexing problems in developing countries, such as low-cost water purification. A Lexington native and MIT grad, she worked in the Peace Corps in Botswana for four years before deciding to tackle some of hurdles she saw people experience every day. , who says her work is perpetually underfunded, is eager to do more field work, such as bringing a simple grain-grinding mill machine she developed to Haiti."We can make a lot more progress," she said.Beth Daley can be reached by e-mail at bdaley@... © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.More News 50% off Globe home delivery. Order today!PRINTER FRIENDLY E-MAIL TO A FRIEND Please contact mito-owner with any problems or questions.