Christian R. H. Raetz
Encyclopedia
Christian Rudolf Hubert Raetz (1946 - August 16, 2011) was the George Barth Geller Professor of Biochemistry
at Duke University
. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
in 2006. His laboratory's research focused on lipid
biochemistry and has contributed significantly to the understanding of Lipid A
biosynthesis.
. His parents were industrial chemists. In the early 1950s, the Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation recruited his father, and Raetz's family moved to Columbus, Ohio
. Raetz earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University
in 1967 and his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University
in 1973.
in Bethesda, Maryland
. In 1974 he secured a faculty position in the biochemistry department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1987, Raetz joined the pharmaceutical company Merck
, eventually becoming vice president for biochemistry and microbiology research. In 1993, Raetz joined the biochemistry department at Duke.
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 2006. His laboratory's research focused on lipid
Lipid
Lipids constitute a broad group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins , monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others...
biochemistry and has contributed significantly to the understanding of Lipid A
Lipid A
Lipid A is a lipid component of an endotoxin held responsible for toxicity of Gram-negative bacteria. It is the innermost of the three regions of the lipopolysaccharide molecule, and its hydrophobic nature allows it to anchor the LPS to the outer membrane...
biosynthesis.
Early life and education
Raetz was born in 1946 in East BerlinEast Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
. His parents were industrial chemists. In the early 1950s, the Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation recruited his father, and Raetz's family moved to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Raetz earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1967 and his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1973.
Career
After graduate and medical school, Raetz was a research associate at the National Institute of General Medical SciencesNational Institute of General Medical Sciences
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences is a part of the National Institutes of Health that primarily supports research that lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention...
in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. In 1974 he secured a faculty position in the biochemistry department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1987, Raetz joined the pharmaceutical company Merck
Merck & Co.
Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...
, eventually becoming vice president for biochemistry and microbiology research. In 1993, Raetz joined the biochemistry department at Duke.
Awards and distinctions
- 2006 - Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
- 2006 - Van Deenen Medal