Norman Pace

Norman R. Pace, Ph.D.

Eighth Winford P. Larson Lecturer

Norman R. Pace, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
University of Colorado, Boulder CO

New Perspective on the Natural Microbial World

Dr. Pace's research spans the fields of molecular biology and microbial ecology. Recent work has included elucidating the structure and catalytic mechanisms of the RNA moiety of ribonuclease P, an enzyme composed of RNA instead of the usual protein. His laboratory has also led the field in the development and use of molecular tools to study microbial ecosystems. This work has led to the discovery of many novel organisms, an undertanding of some unusual symbioses, and expanded the known diversity of microbial life in the environment. Current work ranges from high-temperature environments to human disease.

Dr. Pace is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Academy of Microbiology, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. His awards include the highest award in microbiology--the National Academy of Sciences' Selman A. Waksman Award for Distinguished Contributions in Microbiology