Microbiologist Joseph Krzycki Elected American Academy of Microbiology Fellow
Microbiology Professor Joseph Krzycki, whose discovery of a new amino acid created big ripples in his field, has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), an honorific leadership society within the American Society of Microbiology.
Five years ago, Krzycki, along with biochemist Michael Chan, led two research teams that identified the 22nd genetically encoded amino acid, pyrrolysine, a discovery that is the biological equivalent of a physicist finding a new fundamental particle or chemists discovering a new element. Further studies of the amino acid by Krzycki and his group have shown how pyrrolysine is genetically encoded, and that with just a few genes, the genetic code of different organisms can be expanded to include pyrrolysine.
Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-reviewed process, based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced the discipline of microbiology.
Originally published Spring 2007
