Norman R. Pace

Pace was born and raised in rural Indiana.{{citation |url=https://biology.indiana.edu/news-events/news/2018/pace-lecture.html |title=Microbiology pioneer and leader Norm Pace to present special seminar |date=May 1, 2018 |publisher=Indiana University}} When he was a high school student, Pace attended a summer science program at Indiana University in which he worked in the laboratory of microbiologist Dean Fraser. His participation led to a co-authorship on a scientific paper.{{cite journal |title=The small things can matter |journal=PLOS Biology |volume = 16|issue = 8|pages = e3000009|date=August 24, 2018 |doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000009|pmid = 30142153|pmc=6126870 |last1 = Pace|first1 = Norman R. |doi-access=free }}

He graduated with honors in 1964 from Indiana University Bloomington with an A.B., and later from the University of Illinois in 1967 with a Ph.D.{{cite thesis |url=https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/61475 |title=In Vitro Studies Of Viral Rna Replication |date=1967 |publisher=University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |type=Ph.D. |last=Pace |first=Norman Richard |oclc=932256982 |url-access=registration |id={{ProQuest|302231264}}}} At Illinois, Pace worked under the guidance of Sol Spiegelman.{{cite news |url=https://www.the-scientist.com/research/huge-microbes-value-lies-in-more-than-just-sheer-size-59568 |title=Huge Microbe's Value Lies In More Than Just Sheer Size |magazine=The Scientist Magazine |date=September 6, 1993 |first=Myrna |last=Watanabe}} After receiving his PhD in 1967, Pace remained at Illinois for the next two years as a post doctoral fellow.

In 1969, Pace moved to Denver and simultaneously held teaching positions at both the National Jewish Hospital and Research Center and the University of Colorado Medical Center for three years as an assistant professor of biophysics and genetics. In 1975, Pace was promoted to associate professor of biophysics and genetics at the University of Colorado Medical Center and he dropped his affiliation with the National Jewish Hospital. In 1982, Pace was promoted to a full professor of biochemistry, biophysics, and genetics.

In 1984, he moved to Indiana University as a professor of biology and was named distinguished professor of biology in 1992. In 1994 he was named distinguished professor of biology and chemistry.

In 1996, Pace moved to University of California, Berkeley as a professor of plant and microbial biology, and molecular and cell biology for a stay of three years before being recruited to the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1999 as a professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology (MCDB). He was named distinguished professor of MDCB in 2008.

He was bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Indiana University on May 4, 2018, and gave the inaugural Norman R. Pace Lecture on May 7, 2018.

He has worked with the NASA Astrobiology Institute.{{cite web|url=http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/directory/profile/497/Norman/Pace/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827092915/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/directory/profile/497/norman/pace/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-08-27 |title=Norman Pace « Profile « Directory « NASA Astrobiology |publisher=Astrobiology.nasa.gov |date= |accessdate=2010-10-31}}

Pace's research involved the synthesis, structure, and function of RNA and the application of molecular biology tools to problems in environmental microbial biology. Particularly this was the ability to study microbes that weren't easy to culture in the lab, by extracting nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) from environmental samples. This work is regarded as the beginning of metagenomic analysis, a new approach in studying organisms.{{cite journal |title=Metagenomics and its connection to microbial community organization |journal=F1000 Biol. Rep.|volume = 4|issue = 15| date=August 1, 2012 |doi=10.3410/B4-15|last1 = Fuhrman|first1 = Jed A.|page=15 |pmid=22912649 |pmc=3410722 |doi-access=free}}

Pace married, divorced, and later remarried Bernadette Pace, a PhD microbiologist and a professional trapeze artist. He's also an avid caver, receiving the Lew Bicking Award in 1987. {{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/07/the-man-who-blew-the-door-off-the-microbial-world/534246/ |title=The Man Who Blew The Door Off The Microbial World |magazine=The Atlantic |date=July 20, 2017 |first=Ed |last=Yong}}{{cite web|title=Lew Bicking Award Recipients|url=https://legacy.caves.org/committee/award/bickingAwardees.shtml}}

• 1987 Lew Bicking Award{{cite web|title=Lew Bicking Award Recipients|url=https://caves.org/nss-awards/lew-bicking-award/lew-bicking-award-recipients/}}
• 1991 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 1991 Member of the National Academy of Sciences{{cite web |url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/46247.html |title=Membership Directory: Norman R. Pace |work=National Academy of Sciences}}
• 2001 Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology of the National Academy of Sciences{{cite web|title=Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology|url=http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_chemical_sciences|publisher=National Academy of Sciences|accessdate=27 February 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229180055/http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_chemical_sciences|archivedate=29 December 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2001/20.html |title=CU-Boulder Microbiologist Receives National Academy Of Sciences Award | News Center | University of Colorado at Boulder |publisher=Colorado.edu |date=2001-01-18 |accessdate=2010-10-31}}
• 2001 MacArthur Fellows Program{{cite web|url=http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2001/452.html |title=CU-Boulder Biology Professor Wins 2001 MacArthur Fellowship | News Center | University of Colorado at Boulder |publisher=Colorado.edu |date=2001-10-24 |accessdate=2010-10-31}}
• 2007 Abbott-American Society for Microbiology Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2008 RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2008 International Society of Microbial Ecology Tiedje Award for Lifetime Achievement
• 2017 Massry Prize{{cite news |url=https://www.colorado.edu/today/2017/08/09/2017-massry-prize-honors-norman-pace |title=2017 Massry Prize honors Norman Pace |work=CU Boulder Today |date=August 9, 2017 |first=Trent |last=Knoss}}
• 2018 Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Indiana University
• 2019 Stanley Miller Medal{{cite press release |url=http://www.nasonline.org/news-and-multimedia/news/2019-nas-awards-recipients.html |title=Academy Honors 18 for Major Contributions to Science |date=January 23, 2019 |work=National Academy of Sciences}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://pacelab.colorado.edu/ Pace lab]
• [https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/07/the-man-who-blew-the-door-off-the-microbial-world/534246/ The Atlantic - The Man Who Blew The Door Off The Microbial World]

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Category:1942 births

Category:Living people

Category:American biochemists

Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni

Category:University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni

Category:Indiana University faculty

Category:University of California, Berkeley faculty

Category:University of Colorado Boulder faculty

Category:MacArthur Fellows

Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences