Jonathan Sessler
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Sessler is a professor
of chemistry
at The University of Texas at Austin
. He is notable for his pioneering work on expanded porphyrin
s and their applications to biology and medicine. He is a co-founder of Pharmacyclics, Inc., a company that works with expanded porphyrins, and Anionics, Inc., which develops anion recognition chemistry.
Sessler received his Bachelor of Science
in Chemistry in 1977 from the University of California, Berkeley
and his Ph.D.
in chemistry in 1982 from Stanford University
. He continued as a post-doctoral fellow at L'Université Louis Pasteur, and worked in Kyoto, Japan before becoming an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin in 1984.
He was treated for cancer
at Stanford University Medical Center
during work on his Ph.D. Discussions with his colleagues regarding possible treatments eventually led to the discovery of so-called "texaphyrin
" molecules, named as such due a semblance to the shape of the five-pointed star in the State flag of Texas.http://huumor.com/joke_3969,http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/279/5355/1307b In 1996, Sessler described possible uses of these compounds in medicine in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. His company, Pharmacyclics, Inc., which went public
in 1995, licensed the technology behind "texaphyrins" from the University to develop commercial and medical uses for the molecules.
Sessler has written extensively, authoring or co-authoring over 350 publications. In addition, he has co-authored two books and edited a third. He holds more than 70 U.S. patent
s. Dr. Sessler has received many awards and much recognition, as a Sloan Fellow
(1999), Fellow of the AAAS
(1999), Dreyfus
Teacher-Scholar (1999), ACS
Cope Scholar (1999), recipient of the JSPS and Alexander von Humboldt Senior Fellowships
(1999), and winner of the Izatt-Christensen Award (1999).
Sessler has participated in hosting chemistry circuses on the UT campus.http://www.utexas.edu/events/exploreut/chemistry_circus.html, http://www.utexas.edu/opa/pubs/discovery/disc2000v15n4/disc_fun2.html These circuses are held for different grade levels from elementary to college, and aim to expose students to "fun" aspects of chemistry. Sessler has also lectured on how the disease Porphyria, caused by a deficiency in porphyrins, may be related to the origin of myths about vampire
s and werewolves
.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He is notable for his pioneering work on expanded porphyrin
Porphyrin
Porphyrins are a group of organic compounds, many naturally occurring. One of the best-known porphyrins is heme, the pigment in red blood cells; heme is a cofactor of the protein hemoglobin. Porphyrins are heterocyclic macrocycles composed of four modified pyrrole subunits interconnected at...
s and their applications to biology and medicine. He is a co-founder of Pharmacyclics, Inc., a company that works with expanded porphyrins, and Anionics, Inc., which develops anion recognition chemistry.
Sessler received his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Chemistry in 1977 from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in chemistry in 1982 from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He continued as a post-doctoral fellow at L'Université Louis Pasteur, and worked in Kyoto, Japan before becoming an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin in 1984.
He was treated for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford University Medical Center represents the Stanford Hospital and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and is located at 300 Pasteur Drive in Stanford, California. Stanford Hospital provides both general acute care services and tertiary medical care for patients locally, nationally and...
during work on his Ph.D. Discussions with his colleagues regarding possible treatments eventually led to the discovery of so-called "texaphyrin
Texaphyrin
Texaphyrin is a sub-class of heterocyclic macrocycle molecules known as porphyrins. The molecule was invented by University of Texas at Austin professor Jonathan Sessler. The name texaphryin arose because some of the molecules have a shape that can superimpose onto the points of the star featured...
" molecules, named as such due a semblance to the shape of the five-pointed star in the State flag of Texas.http://huumor.com/joke_3969,http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/279/5355/1307b In 1996, Sessler described possible uses of these compounds in medicine in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. His company, Pharmacyclics, Inc., which went public
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
in 1995, licensed the technology behind "texaphyrins" from the University to develop commercial and medical uses for the molecules.
Sessler has written extensively, authoring or co-authoring over 350 publications. In addition, he has co-authored two books and edited a third. He holds more than 70 U.S. patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s. Dr. Sessler has received many awards and much recognition, as a Sloan Fellow
Sloan Fellows
The Sloan Fellows program is a mid-career master's degree in general management and leadership supported by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. It is targeted at experienced managers who have already demonstrated a significant degree of career success . Alfred P...
(1999), Fellow of the AAAS
AAAS
AAAS may refer to:* American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an organization dedicated to scholarship and the advancement of learning* American Association for the Advancement of Science, an organization that promotes cooperation between scientists...
(1999), Dreyfus
Dreyfus
Dreyfus may refer to:* The Dreyfus affair, a French political scandal* Dreyfus, a 1930 German film on the Dreyfus affair* Louis Dreyfus Group, a company* Dreyfus Corporation, a Mellon Financial Corporation subsidiary...
Teacher-Scholar (1999), ACS
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
Cope Scholar (1999), recipient of the JSPS and Alexander von Humboldt Senior Fellowships
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a foundation set-up by the government of the Federal Republic and funded by the German Foreign Office, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and others for the promotion of international co-operation...
(1999), and winner of the Izatt-Christensen Award (1999).
Sessler has participated in hosting chemistry circuses on the UT campus.http://www.utexas.edu/events/exploreut/chemistry_circus.html, http://www.utexas.edu/opa/pubs/discovery/disc2000v15n4/disc_fun2.html These circuses are held for different grade levels from elementary to college, and aim to expose students to "fun" aspects of chemistry. Sessler has also lectured on how the disease Porphyria, caused by a deficiency in porphyrins, may be related to the origin of myths about vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s and werewolves
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
.
External links
- Jonathan L. Sessler — Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin. Accessed 14 March 2006.
- Company History & Overview — Phaymacyclics.com. Accessed 14 March 2006.
- Jonathan Sessler Distinguished Lecture Series Acknowledgement — Stanford University. Accessed 14 March 2006.
- "Interview: Discovering the Texas molecule" - - Jonathan Sessler talks to The Royal Society of ChemistryRoyal Society of ChemistryThe Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
about what motivated him to discover texaphyrin and about the aims of the companies he co-founded