William Jencks
William Platt Jencks | |
|---|---|
National Academy of Sciences Brandeis University | |
| Signature | |
 |
William Platt Jencks (August 15, 1927 – January 3, 2007) was an American
Career
Jencks graduated from
R. B. Woodward of the Harvard University Department of Chemistry. In 1957, he moved to the new graduate program in biochemistry at Brandeis University
. He became professor emeritus in 1996.
Much of his career focused on reaction mechanisms used by
Circe Effect, to increase the reactivity of their bound substrates.[5][6] In this work he proposed the frequently misunderstood concept of one-way enzymes — enzymes that are more effective catalysts in one direction than in the other.[7] Many of these research interests were explored in his influential[4]: 183 text Catalysis in Chemistry and Enzymology.[8] Jencks published close to 400 scientific papers during his career.[9]
Jencks was a co-founder of the biannual Winter Enzyme Mechanisms Conference. He was memorialized at the 20th Enzyme Mechanisms Meeting in St. Pete Beach, Florida, several days after his death.
Honors and awards
Jencks was a recipient of the 1962
National Academy of Sciences in 1971.[9] Jencks was also a foreign member of the Royal Society[4] and a member of the American Philosophical Society.[10]
Personal life
Jencks's father, Gardner Jencks, was a pianist and composer.Penelope Jencks-Hurwitz, and John Cheetham.
Selected bibliography
- Jencks, W. P. (1994). "Reaction mechanisms, catalysis, and movement". Protein Science. 3 (12): 2459–2464. PMID 7757002.
- Jencks, William P. (1969). Catalysis in chemistry and enzymology. McGraw-Hill series in advanced chemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill.
References
- ^ John Lowenstein (February 1, 2007). "In Memoriam William Jencks". Archived from the original on 2019-12-21.
- ^ Stu Borman (2007). "Enzymologist William Jencks Dies at 79". Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ PMID 9242900.
- ^ S2CID 72434859.
- ^ Jencks, W. P. (1975). "Binding energy, specificity and enzyme catalysis: the Circe effect". Adv. Enzymol. Relat. Areas Biochem. 43: 219–410.
- PMID 16593049.
- ^ It is important to understand that this does not imply any violation of thermodynamic principles, because reactions always proceed toward equilibrium, regardless where the process starts.
- ISBN 978-0-486-65460-7.
- ^ ISSN 0077-2933.
- ^ Richard, John P.; Jack F. Kirsch (2009). "William Platt Jencks". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 153 (1): 97.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
| Other | |
