JoAnne Stubbe

In 1946, Stubbe was born in Champaign, Illinois.{{Cite journal|last=Iii and Potuzak|date=2014|title=The 2010 Benjamin Franklin meal in chemistry presented to JoAnne Stubbe|journal=Journal of the Franklin Institute}} In 1968, Stubbe received a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania,{{Cite web|url=https://biology.mit.edu/profile/joanne-stubbe/|title=JoAnne Stubbe|website=MIT Department of Biology|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-29}} and worked as an undergraduate in the laboratory of Professor Edward R. Thornton. After she received her Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry under the guidance of Professor George Kenyon from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1971, she did a very brief stint (1971–1972) as a postdoc at UCLA, where she worked on synthesizing LSD from tryptophan with Julius Rebek. Then, Stubbe taught at Williams College (1972–1977) discovered she didn't want to teach, but wanted to do research. Her realization sent her to Brandeis University (1975–1977),{{Cite web|url=https://news.mit.edu/2011/killian-stubbe-0518|title=Stubbe wins faculty's Killian Award|website=MIT News|date=19 May 2011 |access-date=2016-01-28}} where she did a second postdoc with Robert Abeles. This is where she learned the art and science of creating mechanism-based enzyme inhibitors.{{Cite journal|last=Hopkin|first=K|date=2007|title=JoAnne Stubbe – Making life possible|journal=The Scientist}} She also taught at Yale School of Medicine (1977–1980) as an assistant professor in the department of pharmacology.{{Cite web|url=http://www.chem.uzh.ch/static/events/dch/2008/Stubbe.html|title=DCH 2008|website=www.chem.uzh.ch|access-date=2016-04-13}}

In 1980, she moved to the University of Wisconsin, serving as assistant professor in the Biochemistry Department and rising to full professor in 1985. She was an assistant professor for a total of 12 years. In 1987, Stubbe became a professor in the MIT Chemistry Department, where she became the first woman to receive tenure in that department.{{Cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/18/white_house_to_give_mit_scientist_top_honor/|title=White House to give MIT scientist top honor|last=Johnson|first=Carolyn Y.|date=2009-09-18|work=Boston.com|access-date=2019-06-29}} She received a joint appointment in the MIT Biology Department in 1990.

In 1994, Stubbe was one of 16 women faculty in the School of Science at MIT who drafted and co-signed a letter to the then-Dean of Science (now Chancellor of Berkeley) Robert Birgeneau, which started a campaign to highlight and challenge gender discrimination at MIT.{{Cite book |last=Zernike |first=Kate |title=The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science |publisher=Scribner |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-9821-3183-8 |location=New York, NY}}

Stubbe has published over 300 scientific papers and has been frequently recognized for her research achievements.{{Cite web|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2019/june/acs-names-joanne-stubbe-2020-priestley-medalist.html|title=American Chemical Society names JoAnne Stubbe 2020 Priestley Medalist|website=American Chemical Society|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}} Before Stubbe's work, there were no chemical mechanisms that could be written for certain enzymes. She revolutionized the biochemistry field with her first two scientific papers on enzymes enolase and pyruvate kinase.

Her first two publications in scientific journals showed the mechanisms for reactions that involved the enzymes enolase that metabolizes carbohydrates, and pyruvate kinase. Her first groundbreaking experiments were carried out in the late 1970s and early 1980s, while she was at Yale, then the University of Wisconsin. She was trying to understand how the hydroxyl group at the 2' position of the ribonucleotide's sugar was replaced by the hydrogen found in deoxyribonucleotides. To perform these experiments, she had to synthesize nucleotides that carried a heavy isotope at specific positions. Stubbe reportedly kept a bed in her office since she worked around the clock on her experiments. Stubbe pioneered the use of spectroscopic investigations of enzyme interactions{{Citation|date=9 February 2009|pages=41–42|title=Nakanishi Prize|journal=Chemical & Engineering News}} and has devoted most of her career to elucidating the biochemical mechanisms behind free radicals. In her early work at Yale and then at the University of Wisconsin, Stubbe discovered how enzymes called ribonucleotide reductases use free-radical chemistry to convert nucleotides into deoxynucleotides, an essential process in DNA repair and replication.{{Cite web|title = Making Life Possible {{!}} The Scientist Magazine|url = http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/24706/title/Making-Life-Possible/|website = The Scientist|access-date = 2016-01-28}} These enzymes catalyze the rate-determining step in DNA biosynthesis. Her analysis of the nucleotide reduction process shed light on the mechanism of action of the Eli Lilly & Co. anti-cancer drug gemcitabine, which is used to treat various carcinomas, such as pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.

Stubbe, in collaboration with John Kozarich, also elucidated the structure and function of bleomycin, an antibiotic that is commonly used to treat cancer. They discovered how bleomycin induces DNA strand breaks in tumor cells, which in turn induces apoptosis.

Before retiring, Stubbe studied the function of ribonucleotide reductases and the mechanisms of clinically useful drugs. She also extended her research into polyhydroxybutyrates, a class of biodegradable polymers that can be synthesized by bacteria under certain conditions and then converted into plastics.{{Cite web|title = JoAnne Stubbe Research Group – MIT|url = http://web.mit.edu/biochemistry/research.htm|website = web.mit.edu|access-date = 2016-01-28}} Stubbe's other research interests included the design of so-called suicide inhibitors and mechanisms of DNA repair enzymes.

Stubbe was active on several committees, including review boards for the NIH grants committee and the editorial boards for various scientific journals.

Stubbe's parents were teachers, and that is why she thought teaching is what she originally wanted to do as a career. Stubbe had a pet dog named Dr. McEnzyme Stubbe. The dog was a part of the research group and had its own email address and picture on the group's website.{{Cite web|url=https://harvardmagazine.com/2013/05/honorary-degree-recipients|title=Abreu, Menino, Pagels, and Oprah: The Honorands|date=2013-05-30|website=Harvard Magazine|language=en|access-date=2020-01-29}}{{Cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/biochemistry/people.htm|title=JoAnne Stubbe Research Group – MIT|website=web.mit.edu|access-date=2020-01-29}}

• 1991 American Academy of Arts and Sciences{{Cite web|title = Academy of Arts & Sciences Website Search|url = https://www.amacad.org/content/system/search.aspx?s=joanne+stubbe#srConstOverview|website = amacad.org|access-date = 2016-01-28}}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• 1992 United States National Academy of Sciences (Biochemistry section){{Cite web|url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/62044.html|title=JoAnne Stubbe|website=www.nasonline.org|access-date=2019-06-29}}{{Cite web|title = Eight Faculty Elected to NAS|url = https://news.mit.edu/1992/nas-0506|website = MIT News| date=6 May 1992 |access-date = 2016-01-28}}
• 2004 American Philosophical Society{{Cite web|title = Awards and Honors|url = https://news.mit.edu/2004/aandh-0602|website = MIT News| date=2 June 2004 |access-date = 2016-01-28}}
• American Chemical Society
• American Society for Biological Chemists
• Protein Society

• 1986 Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry
• 1989 ICI – Stuart Pharmaceutical Award for Excellence in Chemistry
• 1990 MIT teaching award
• 1991 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow Award{{Cite web|url=https://biology.mit.edu/people/joanne_stubbe|title=Joanne Stubbe {{!}} MIT Biology|website=biology.mit.edu|access-date=2016-04-13}}
• 1992 Myron L. Bender and Muriel S. Bender Distinguished Summer Lecturer, Northwestern University
• 1993 Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award{{cite web|url=http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/national/bytopic/arthur-cope-scholar-award.html|title=Arthur C. Cope Scholar Awards|work=American Chemical Society}} of the American Chemical Society
• 1996 Richards Medal from northeastern section of ACS{{Cite web|url=http://www.chemistry.illinois.edu/events/lectures/Rinehart/2010-11_JoAnne_Stubbe.html|title=2010-11_JoAnne_Stubbe|website=www.chemistry.illinois.edu|access-date=2016-04-13|archive-date=2017-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510172617/http://www.chemistry.illinois.edu/events/lectures/Rinehart/2010-11_JoAnne_Stubbe.html|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/annualreports/pres96/13.03.html|title=MIT Reports to the President 1995–96|website=web.mit.edu|access-date=2019-06-29}}
• 1997 Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry{{cite web|url=http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/national/bytopic/alfred-bader-award-in-bioinorganic-or-bioorganic-chemistry.html|title=Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry|work=American Chemical Society}} of the American Chemical Society
• 1998 F.A. Cotton Medal for Excellence in Chemical Research of the American Chemical Society{{Cite web|url=https://www.chem.tamu.edu/medals+lectureships/cotton-medal/Cotton-Medal.php|title=F. A. Cotton Medal for Excellence Chemical Research}}
• 2004 Repligen Award{{Cite web|url=http://www.divbiolchem.org/content/repligenawardees1.pdf|title=Repligen Corporation Award in Chemistry of Biological Processes|access-date=2019-06-29|archive-date=2014-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717045239/http://www.divbiolchem.org/content/repligenawardees1.pdf|url-status=dead}}
• 2005 John Scott Award{{Cite web|url=http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/johnscottaward/js2001-2010.html|title=John Scott Award Recipients|website=www.garfield.library.upenn.edu|access-date=2019-06-29}}
• 2008 Protein Society Emil Thomas Kaiser Award{{Cite web|url=https://www.proteinsociety.org/page/protein-society-awards|title=The Protein Society : Protein Society Awards|website=www.proteinsociety.org|access-date=2019-06-29|archive-date=2019-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203162612/https://www.proteinsociety.org/page/protein-society-awards|url-status=dead}}
• 2008 National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasonline.org/programs/awards/chemical-sciences.html|title=NAS Award in Chemical Sciences|website=www.nasonline.org|access-date=2019-06-29}}
• 2008 Kirkwood Medal{{Cite web|url=https://cen.acs.org/articles/86/i39/Kirkwood-Medal-JoAnne-Stubbe.html|title=Kirkwood Medal To JoAnne Stubbe {{!}} September 29, 2008 Issue – Vol. 86 Issue 39 {{!}} Chemical & Engineering News|website=cen.acs.org|access-date=2019-06-29}}
• 2009 American Chemical Society's Nakanishi Prize for identifying the role of radical intermediates in ribonucleotide reductase functions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/national/bytopic/nakanishi-prize.html|title=Nakanishi Prize|website=American Chemical Society|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}}
• 2009 National Medal of Science "for her groundbreaking experiments establishing the mechanisms of ribonucleotide reductases, polyester synthases, and natural product DNA cleavers — compelling demonstrations of the power of chemical investigations to solve problems in biology."{{cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/stubbe-medal-0917.html|title=Biochemist JoAnne Stubbe wins National Medal of Science|author=Anne Trafton, MIT News Office|date=17 September 2009|work=MIT News}}
• 2009 Prelog Medal, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich{{Cite web|title = JoAnne Stubbe Wins Prelog Medal {{!}} March 1, 2010 Issue – Vol. 88 Issue 9 {{!}} Chemical & Engineering News|url = http://cen.acs.org/articles/88/i9/JoAnne-Stubbe-Wins-Prelog-Medal.html|website = cen.acs.org|access-date = 2016-01-28}}
• 2010 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry of The Franklin Institute for uncovering the intricate processes by which cells safely use free radicals, for developing new cancer treatments, and for improving the production of environmentally-friendly polymers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.fi.edu/franklinawards/10/bf_chemistry.html |title=Franklin Institute Laureate Page for JoAnne Stubbe |access-date=2010-04-04 |archive-date=2010-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424003733/http://www.fi.edu/franklinawards/10/bf_chemistry.html |url-status=dead }}
• 2010 Welch Award for "fundamental research in biochemistry and enzymology."[http://www.welch1.org/Awards/WelchAwardinChemist0943/PreviousRecipients.asp Welch Award Listing of Recipients] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930041332/http://www.welch1.org/Awards/WelchAwardinChemist0943/PreviousRecipients.asp |date=2011-09-30 }}
• 2010 Murray Goodman Memorial Prize{{Cite web|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/10970282/homepage/murray_goodman_memorial_prize.htm|title=Murray Goodman Memorial Prize|website=onlinelibrary.wiley.com|doi=10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0282|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}}
• 2013 Honorary doctor of the Harvard Universityhttps://www.harvard.edu/on-campus/commencement/honorary-degrees Degrees
• 2014 Penn Chemistry Distinguished Alumni Award{{Cite web|url=https://www.chem.upenn.edu/content/distinguished-alumni-award|title=Distinguished Alumni Award {{!}} Department of Chemistry|website=www.chem.upenn.edu|access-date=2016-04-13}}
• 2015 American Chemical Society Remsen Award{{Cite web|url=http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i18/2015-Remsen-Award-JoAnne-Stubbe.html?type=paidArticleContent|title=2015 Remsen Award To JoAnne Stubbe {{!}} Chemical & Engineering News|last=Wang|first=Linda|website=cen.acs.org|access-date=2016-04-13}}
• 2017 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockefeller.edu/greengard-prize/recipients/joanne-stubbe/|title=JoAnne Stubbe|website=Greengard Prize|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.mit.edu/2017/mit-chemist-joanne-stubbe-receives-pearl-meister-greengard-prize-1010|title=JoAnne Stubbe wins Pearl Meister Greengard Prize|website=MIT News|date=10 October 2017 |access-date=2019-06-29}}
• 2020 American Chemical Society Priestley Medal{{cite web|url=https://cen.acs.org/people/awards/JoAnne-Stubbe-named-2020-Priestley-Medalist/97/i25|title=JoAnne Stubbe Named 2020 Priestley Medalist|author=Celia Henry Arnaud|access-date=19 June 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2019/june/acs-names-joanne-stubbe-2020-priestley-medalist.html|title=American Chemical Society names JoAnne Stubbe 2020 Priestley Medalist|website=American Chemical Society|language=en|access-date=2019-06-29}}

{{reflist}}

{{Winners of the National Medal of Science|chemistry}}

{{Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry}}

{{Repligen Corporation Award in Chemistry of Biological Processes}}

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Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty

Category:21st-century American chemists

Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni

Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences

Category:American women chemists

Category:1946 births

Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society

Category:National Medal of Science laureates

Category:21st-century American women scientists

Category:Chemists from Illinois

Category:Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) laureates