Stephen J Benkovic

Updated on Sep 28, 2024

Edit

Comment

Fields Biochemistry Role Chemist		Name Stephen Benkovic

Born April 20, 1938 (age 86) Orange, New Jersey ( 1938-04-20 ) Alma mater Lehigh University, Cornell University, University of California, Santa Barbara Notable awards National Medal of Science (2010)NAS Award in Chemical Sciences (2011) Education Cornell University (1963), Lehigh University (1960), University of California, Santa Barbara Awards Benjamin Franklin Medal
Institutions Penn State University Academic advisors Thomas C. Bruice

Stephen J. Benkovic | Wikipedia audio article

Stephen James Benkovic (born April 20, 1938) is an American chemist. He is Evan Pugh Professor and Eberly Chair in Chemistry at Penn State University. His research has focused on mechanistic enzymology and the discovery of enzyme inhibitors. He was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1985.

Early life and education

Benkovic was born in Orange, New Jersey. He earned his B.S. degree in chemistry and an A.B. degree in English literature from Lehigh University in 1960. He earned his Ph.D in organic chemistry from Cornell University in 1963.

Career

Benkovic was a postdoc at University of California, Santa Barbara. There he and his advisor Thomas C. Bruice developed bioorganic textbooks that focused on enzyme catalysis. He joined the chemistry department at Penn State University in 1965. There, he uses the T4 DNA polymerase as a model system to explain the proficiency of enzymes. He also uses the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase and the pathway for de novo purine biosynthesis to gain insights into enzymatic catalysis.