Israel Journal of Chemistry最新文献

Richard Lerner was a singularity. During his tenure, Scripps Research was transformed into a biomedical powerhouse. He rapidly built remarkable strength in chemical and structural biology, immunology, cell and molecular biology, and molecular medicine. Not to stop there, he also instituted a new graduate program that consistently ranked in the top ten in the US. At the same time, he was a prolific author of scientific papers, which poured out of his own laboratory with colleagues at Scripps Research and collaborators throughout the world. These and many other aspects of his brilliant career and contributions are well documented and discussed elsewhere.

Here I chose to avoid redundancy and focus instead on a few of the personal encounters, which give some sense of Richard's character and spirit. An essential part of Richard's success was his wife Nicola (Nicky), herself an MD, who worked tirelessly to enable him to achieve what he did. Early on, my wife Cleo and Nicky became close friends. This relationship facilitated social occasions, where we would be with the Lerner's at a dinner or event, sometimes at our home or at theirs, but also with guests at various restaurants in La Jolla. As a result, my understanding of Richard was broadened beyond that received from the many discussions and meetings at Scripps Research. This understanding was helpful during those times when we faced serious challenges and he, like all of us when under stress, needed support.

In what is written below, I have used plain language to relate some of my memories and reflections. Richard was a friend and colleague and taught me much, especially the power of a vision, of belief in that vision and of the will to make the effort to bring it to pass.

Richard Lerner had many achievements in his outstanding career. He will perhaps be remembered most for taking the helm of Scripps Research, following the founding by and tenure of Frank Dixon, and building one of the most successful biomedical research institutes in the world. Two Nobel prizes at Scripps in the past two years and one of them a second Nobel speaks for itself. But I want to cover what many consider Richard's finest scientific achievement- the development of a whole new approach to making antibodies that has been revolutionary to many aspects of basic science and medicine. I was very fortunate to be a part of that development and I give an account here and my memories of Richard during that time.

Richard was mainly known as a gifted scientist, a charismatic leader, and an original and creative President. And he was my good friend and a role model for over three decades. The term impossible was not part of his vocabulary. I′ve learned from him that there is no limit to imagination and creativity, no limit to the number of assignments one can fulfill, and no limit to the magnitude of a dream one can turn into reality. Richard was blessed with the unique talent to quickly decipher the essence of people‘s thoughts and discover the hidden parts of their personalities, which allowed him to focus on what he defined as the most valuable issues and productive discussions. My experience with him included the joy of scientific discovery, the silent mode of human communication, the power of commitment and dedication, and the wildest sense of humor. Now, nearly two years after his departure, I feel free and obliged to share unknown stories and anecdotes that illuminate various facets of his personality.

In recent decades, electro-organic synthesis is indubitably emerging as a cornerstone of modern organic chemistry. Electrochemical organic transformations especially reduction reactions have made massive advancements in the last few years because of their sustainable and environ-friendly nature. Electro-reductive protocols can be used as a promising substitute for conventional reductants by expelling the requirement of the stoichiometric amount of metal reductants. The major challenges for these electro-reductive reactions are primarily the use of a sacrificial electrode and divided cells. These limitations can be resolved through smart reaction planning by employing cheap sacrificial reagents or paired electrolysis without compromising the sustainable viewpoint. Considering the rapid enhancement in this field, imparting an intangible understanding of this evolving area is essential and substantial. In this review, we portrayed the electrochemical reductive transformations of C−C and C−O bonds after 2015 along with detailed mechanistic insights.