CARB Announces Winners Of Division Awards

The recipients of the ACS Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry (CARB) awards for 2008 have been selected, and awards will be presented during the fall ACS national meeting in Philadelphia.

The Melville L. Wolfrom Award will go to David Crich, the A. Paul & Carol C. Schaap Professor of Chemistry at Wayne State University, in Detroit. This award is given annually to recognize excellent contributions to the field of carbohydrate chemistry and/or outstanding service to the division. Crich's research focuses on the development of new synthetic methodology to solve problems in the synthesis of bioactive and other molecules.

Benjamin S. Davis, a professor of organic chemistry at Oxford University, will receive the Horace S. Isbell Award for outstanding contributions to the field of carbohydrate chemistry. The award recognizes carbohydrate scientists under the age of 41 who have demonstrated excellence in the field and show promise of continuing to make high-quality contributions to carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry. Davis' research interests are in chemical biology with an emphasis on carbohydrates and proteins.

The New Investigator Award will go to Xi Chen, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of California, Davis. The award acknowledges outstanding contributions to research in carbohydrate chemistry by scientists in their first independent faculty position. Chen's research group uses molecular biology and enzymatic methods to synthesize complex carbohydrates and glycoconjugates related to human health.