Jorge Escalante-Semerena and Ronald Raines receive Kellett Mid-Career Awards
Jorge Escalante-Semerena, bacteriology, and Ron Raines, biochemistry, were among eight UW-Madison faculty members who received Kellett Mid-Career Awards for their research. Kellett Awards are given by the Graduate School and funded by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. They are given to faculty who are five to 20 years past their first promotion to a tenured position. Honorees receive a $60,000 flexible research fund.
Escalante-Semerena’s research focuses on studies of bacterial cell physiology and metabolism. His work has helped reveal how cells assemble complex vitamins; identified new metabolic routes for energy generation; and contributed to the understanding of the control of gene expression and enzyme activity in response to the energy status of the cell.
Raines has provided fundamental insight into the stability of collagen and other proteins; discovered an RNA-cleaving enzyme that is a clinical anti-cancer agent; and developed processes to synthesize proteins and convert biomass into fuels and chemicals.