Bonnie Bassler, a University molecular biology professor, has received one of the most coveted awards in academia, one that is often referred to as the "genius award."
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced Bassler as one of its 2002 fellows at midnight last night. The MacArthur Fellowships are given to 20 to 30 people each year as an "investment in a person's originality, insight and potential," according to the foundation's website.
The award includes an unrestricted stipend of $500,000 to be paid out over five years. Bassler plans to use the money to broaden her research by inviting specialists in fields other than genetics to participate in her studies.
During her eight-year tenure at the University, Bassler's research has focused on determining how bacteria detect and produce chemicals called autoinducers to regulate gene expression. In doing this, bacteria can gain advantages by coordinating their efforts and acting more like multicellular organisms.
"I love working on quorum sensing and how bacteria talk to each other," Bassler said of her current research.
A selection committee chose the winners from a list of names submitted by approximately 100 nominators across the country in a close-to-the-chest process that does not notify nominees until they have been picked as winners.
"I had no inkling of this," Bassler said. "It still does not seem real."
"Someone is my fairy angel," she joked.
Bassler said that she especially wanted to thank the people that have helped her in her laboratory over the years.
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