August 19, 1996
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dr. Jonathan Lindsey has been named the Glaxo Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at North Carolina State University.
His appointment was announced by Chancellor Larry K. Monteith following approval by the NC State University Board of Trustees and the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.
Prior to joining the NC State faculty this fall, Lindsey was a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
He is noted for his research into the design, synthesis and characterization of molecular devices and chemical systems that exhibit photochemical properties. His particular focus is the chemistry and photochemistry of porphyrins and related molecules (such as chlorophyll, heme and vitamin B12), which are nature's most important cofactors. He developed the Lindsey method, a widely used biomimetic synthesis of porphyrin molecules.
The Glaxo professorship was established during the university's Century II campaign with funds from Glaxo Inc. and the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Distinguished Professors Endowment Trust Fund.
Lindsey has developed a building block approach for the modular construction of multi- porphyrin arrays. This approach uses a set of molecular building blocks, like ultraminiature Legoblocks or Tinkertoys for assembling molecular devices. He has used these blocks to create a light-harvesting antenna complex, a molecular photonic wire and molecular optoelectronic gates. The latter two devices exhibit phenomena that suggest the possibility of building molecular-scale information processing systems.
He also has research interests in robotics -- automated chemistry workstations equipped with provisions for performing large numbers of experiments in parallel for use in fundamental investigations of chemical reactions.
Lindsey received his bachelor of science degree in 1978 from Indiana University, and his doctoral degree from The Rockefeller University in 1983. A member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Lindsey was recognized as an outstanding teacher during his tenure at Carnegie Mellon.
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