Nano scientist Angela Belcher awarded $500,000 ‘genius’ grant

Sept. 28, 2004 – Nanotechnologist Angela Belcher is among 23 winners nationwide to receive a $500,000 no-strings-attached “genius” grant today from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  The annual awards recognize highly creative people in all fields whose work the foundation considers potentially world-changing.

Belcher, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is devising ways to use genetically modified viruses to produce nanomaterials. By mimicking processes in nature, she has coaxed snippets of proteins on viruses to make uniform semiconductor nanostructures. Such materials could one day be incorporated into nanoelectronics or nanoscale machines.

Belcher has received numerous honors, including Small Times’ 2002 innovator and researcher finalist awards; Beckman, DuPont and Army Young Investigator awards, and a Presidential Early Career Award. The MacArthur Fellowship will allow her to use $500,000 over five years to pursue any area of interest she pleases.

POST A COMMENT

Easily post a comment below using your Linkedin, Twitter, Google or Facebook account. Comments won't automatically be posted to your social media accounts unless you select to share.