{"656023":{"#nid":"656023","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Alfred Merrill Elected American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/al-merrill\u0022\u003EAlfred Merrill\u003C\/a\u003E, professor emeritus in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and Smithgall Chair in Molecular Cell Biology in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash; who brought research attention to an important class of organic compounds found in all tissues, including the brain \u0026mdash; has been elected as a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.asbmb.org\/about\/asbmb-fellows\u0022\u003Efellow\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.asbmb.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This honor is only bestowed to our most distinguished and established members,\u0026rdquo; says ASBMB president\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.asbmb.org\/asbmb-today\/authors\/toni-m-antalis\u0022\u003EToni Antalis\u003C\/a\u003E. ASBMB Fellowships were established in 2020 \u0026ldquo;to recognize our members for their meritorious efforts to advance the molecular life sciences through sustained outstanding accomplishments in scientific research, education, mentorship, commitment to diversity, and service to the society and the scientific community.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It is an honor to be selected as a fellow of the ASBMB, an\u0026nbsp;organization that was established over a hundred years ago\u0026nbsp;and promotes research and training in biochemistry through\u0026nbsp;newsletters, conferences and publication of several of the\u0026nbsp;most highly regarded journals in the field, such as\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jbc.org\/\u0022\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;Journal of Biological Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jlr.org\/\u0022\u003EThe Journal of Lipid Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E,\u0026rdquo; Merrill says.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;We are thrilled to see Al Merrill named a ASBMB Fellow,\u0026rdquo; says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/todd-streelman\u0022\u003ETodd Streelman\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and chair of the School of Biological Sciences. \u0026ldquo;This award acknowledges Al\u0026rsquo;s lifetime of achievement in the lab and as a mentor to his colleagues. On behalf of the School of Biological Sciences, I congratulate Al on this honor.\u0026quot;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMerrill was nominated by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/molbiosci.rutgers.edu\/faculty-research\/faculty\/faculty-detail\/80-c-d\/254-carman-george-m\u0022\u003EGeorge Carman\u003C\/a\u003E, Board of Governors Professor of Food Science, and Founding Director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rclr.rutgers.edu\/\u0022\u003ERutgers Center for Lipid Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, \u0026amp; Health at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rutgers.edu\/\u0022\u003ERutgers University\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Al has made impressive contributions to science through both the discoveries by his laboratory and his assistance to others through service activities,\u0026rdquo; says Carman, who was named an ASBMB Fellow in 2021.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMerrill has been an IBB member since he came to Georgia Tech in fall 2001. He was an adjunct professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;from 2003-2016. Merrill\u0026rsquo;s Georgia Tech research affiliations include\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/center-bio-imaging-mass-spectrometry\u0022\u003Ethe Center for Bio-Imaging Mass Spectrometry\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/integrated-cancer-research-center\u0022\u003EIntegrated Cancer Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for ImmunoEngineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\/research\/drug-design-development-delivery\u0022\u003ECenter for Drug Design Development and Delivery\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMerrill is also a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/winshipcancer.emory.edu\/bios\/faculty\/merrill-jr-alfred-h.html\u0022\u003EEmory Winship Cancer Institute\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving our understanding of important organic compounds\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELipids are hormones, fats, oils and waxes that store energy and act as messengers within the body. A class of lipids,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nrm.2017.107\u0022\u003Esphingolipids\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026mdash; named after the mysterious sphinx of mythology because of their enigmatic nature to early researchers \u0026mdash; are important in tissue development,\u0026nbsp;cell structure, cell-cell communication and signal transduction (how a cell responds to substances outside the cell).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMerrill began researching sphingolipids while an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022\/\/\/\/Users\/rmiguel3\/Desktop\/The%20sphingoid%20base%20biosynthesis%20pathway%20looked%20promising%20%20because%20few%20other%20scientists%20were%20studying%20it%20and%20my%20%20background%20in%20these%20two%20areas%20somewhat%20uniquely%20prepared%20me%20%20to%20tackle%20that%20challenging%20field.%20%20It%20was%20also%20helpful%20that%20%20I%20like%20to%20develop%20new%20methods%20for%20analyzing%20biochemical%20%20processes,%20and%20one%20of%20the%20first%20things%20that%20I%20did%20was%20%20develop%20easier%20ways%20to%20study%20sphingoid%20bases%20and%20their%20%20metabolism.\u0022\u003EDepartment of Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/med.emory.edu\/\u0022\u003EEmory University School of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 1981. \u0026ldquo;I wanted to branch out from\u0026nbsp;my areas of previous training, which had been on the\u0026nbsp;mechanisms of action of coenzymes and glycerolipids,\u0026rdquo; he says. \u0026ldquo;The sphingoid base biosynthesis pathway looked promising\u0026nbsp;because few other scientists were studying it and my\u0026nbsp;background in these two areas somewhat uniquely prepared me\u0026nbsp;to tackle that challenging field. It was also helpful that\u0026nbsp;I like to develop new methods for analyzing biochemical\u0026nbsp;processes, and one of the first things that I did was\u0026nbsp;develop easier ways to study sphingoid bases and their\u0026nbsp;metabolism.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ASBMB notes that Merrill developed quantitative methods to measure sphingolipids and was a major contributor to mass spectrometry\u0026ndash;based lipidomics research guidance. Merrill helped determine how the lipid backbones of sphingolipids are made and how they function in cell signaling and disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThree research studies that Merrill conducted in 1986 detailing sphingolipids and cell signaling were designated\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/news\/standing-test-time-1\u0022\u003E\u0026ldquo;Classics\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in 2016 by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jbc.org\/\u0022\u003EJournal of Biological Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E because of their scientific influence.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMerrill is a fellow of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and an associate editor of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jlr.org\/\u0022\u003EJournal of Lipid Research\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E. He was a member of the editorial board of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.jbc.org\/\u0022\u003EJournal of Biological Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;for 20 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMerrill is one of five Georgia-based scientists who received 2022 ASBMB Fellowships. The others are:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.emory.edu\/index.cfm?faculty=444\u0022\u003EAnita Corbett\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, Samuel C. Dobbs Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.biology.emory.edu\/\u0022\u003EDepartment of Biology\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.emory.edu\/home\/index.html\u0022\u003EEmory University\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/antibiotics.emory.edu\/faculty\/main\/dunham-christine.html\u0022\u003EChristine Dunham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor, Department of Biochemistry at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.med.emory.edu\/\u0022\u003EEmory University School of Medicine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bmb.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/gerald-w-hart\u0022\u003EGerald Hart\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor and GRA Eminent Scholar and member of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia\u0026rsquo;s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/franklin.uga.edu\/\u0022\u003EFranklin College of Arts and Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/research\/acs-researchers\/susanna-fletcher-greer-bio.html\u0022\u003ESusanna Fletcher Greer\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, senior scientific director, Biochemistry and Immunology of Cancer at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/about-us\/local\/georgia.html\u0022\u003EAmerican Cancer Society in Georgia\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Professor emeritus Alfred Merrill is honored for impressive contributions to studies of sphingolipids: organic materials responsible for cell development and messaging "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor emeritus Alfred Merrill is honored for impressive contributions to studies of sphingolipids: organic materials responsible for cell development and messaging.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professor emeritus Alfred Merrill is honored for impressive contributions to studies of sphingolipids: organic materials responsible for cell development and messaging "}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2022-03-03 19:05:28","changed_gmt":"2022-03-07 17:08:33","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-03-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-03-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"656018":{"id":"656018","type":"image","title":"Alfred Merrill ","body":null,"created":"1646332720","gmt_created":"2022-03-03 18:38:40","changed":"1646332720","gmt_changed":"2022-03-03 18:38:40","alt":"","file":{"fid":"248697","name":"Alfred Merrill in lab.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alfred%20Merrill%20in%20lab.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Alfred%20Merrill%20in%20lab.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1550032,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Alfred%20Merrill%20in%20lab.jpg?itok=D839EU5o"}}},"media_ids":["656018"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/news\/standing-test-time-1","title":"Standing the Test of Time "},{"url":"https:\/\/www.asbmb.org\/about\/asbmb-fellows","title":"ASBMB Fellows "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"166928","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"190105","name":"Alfred Merrill"},{"id":"190106","name":"American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ASBMB"},{"id":"172152","name":"Sphingolipids"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERenay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEditor: Jess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}