For release: Sept. 30, 2004

Contacts: 
Ed Yeung, Chemical and Biological Sciences, (515) 294-8062
Saren Johnston, Public Affairs, (515) 294-3474, sarenj@ameslab.gov

AMES LAB SCIENTIST WINS FIRST ADAMS AWARD

Award recognizes Ed Yeung's work in biochemistry

AMES, IA – Edward S. Yeung, director of the Chemical and Biological Sciences Program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and a distinguished professor of chemistry in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University, has been named the first recipient of the newly created Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry. The award was created in memory of Ralph N. Adams, a renowned, post World War II analytical and electroanalytical chemist, and an inspiring teacher.

The Adams Award recognizes Yeung’s outstanding scientific contributions that encompass many issues fundamental to bioanalysis. His studies of individual enzyme molecules define the most sensitive level of detection of biomolecules and revealed that the catalytic activity of the same enzymes differs. The work has led to many single-molecule studies in other research groups and promises to impact molecular modeling, drug design and catalytic studies.

Yeung ranks as one of the top analytical chemists in the world and has received numerous awards recognizing his outstanding achievements, including the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award in Chemical Instrumentation in 1987; R&D 100 Awards in 1989, 1991, 1997 and 2001; the Pittsburgh Analytical Chemistry Award in 1993; the ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry in 1994; and the ACS Award in Chromatography in 2002.

“I can think of no individual more deserving of the Adams Award than Ed Yeung,” said Ames Laboratory Director Tom Barton. “Ed’s cutting-edge research continues to amaze the scientific community.”

Yeung has a prolific record of scientific successes. A detection system developed by Yeung simultaneously monitors 96 capillary separations based on laser-excited fluorescence in the samples. The system represents the key technology used in the most common DNA-sequencing instruments on the market today and is playing an integral role in worldwide efforts to sequence the entire human genome. The ability to decipher our complete genetic code should greatly enhance the diagnosis of diseases and the development of improved treatments.

Yeung developed a method to detect and characterize single biomolecules using a high-throughput imaging approach that allows determination of the individual mobilities of many molecules at a time (up to 100,000 per second). This breakthrough may allow a more efficient method for screening DNA or proteins within single biological cells for disease markers.

A procedure for studying the contents of a single human blood cell developed by Yeung and members of his research group relies on capillary electrophoresis and laser excitation. The impact of this work is far-reaching. If there are chemical markers that show up before physical changes occur in cells due to disease, single-cell measurements can lead to early diagnosis.

Yeung’s development of a technique that uses native fluorescence to image living cells has eliminated the need for fluorescent labels and greatly eased the study of biological cells and the comprehensive mapping of proteins. The method also yields unprecedented detection sensitivity.

New separation schemes emerged from Yeung’s fundamental studies on how biomolecules behave at the solid/liquid interface. In one case, he showed that DNA molecules could be separated by size without the use of a sieving medium. In another instance, he demonstrated that DNA fragments could be fractionated from each other with 100 percent efficiency.

Yeung also has developed two unique schemes for detecting species of importance to the biopharmaceutical community. One, a detector based on optical activity for high-performance liquid chromatographic detection of trace organics, allows direct determination of purity in mirror-image molecules. The second scheme uses absorption detection with multiplexed capillary electrophoresis to create a high-throughput analysis technology that can perform 96 chemical separations simultaneously through an array of 96 capillary tubes. The capillaries disperse heat very well, allowing the use of an electrical charge up to 20,000 volts. The high voltage means separations can be done in as little as fifteen minutes.

Yeung will receive the Ralph N. Adams Award in Bioanalytical Chemistry at the 2005 Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, PITTCON 2005, February 27 through March 4, in Orlando, Fla.

Ames Laboratory is operated for the Department of Energy by Iowa State University. The Lab conducts research into various areas of national concern, including energy resources, high-speed computer design, environmental cleanup and restoration, and the synthesis and study of new materials.

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