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    Eugammon of Cyrene

    William E. Moerner
    Moerner in 2024
    Born
    William Esco Moerner

    (1953-06-24) June 24, 1953 (age 71)
    Pleasanton, California, U.S.
    Alma mater
    AwardsWolf Prize in Chemistry (2008)
    Irving Langmuir Award (2009)
    Peter Debye Award
    (2013)
    Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2014)
    Scientific career
    FieldsChemistry, applied physics, biophysics
    Institutions
    ThesisVibrational relaxation dynamics of an IR-laser-excited molecular impurity mode in alkali halide lattices (1982)
    Doctoral advisorAlbert J. Sievers
    Other academic advisorsJames Gegan Miller

    William Esco Moerner, also known as W. E. Moerner, (born June 24, 1953) is an American physical chemist and chemical physicist with current work in the biophysics and imaging of single molecules. He is credited with achieving the first optical detection and spectroscopy of a single molecule in condensed phases, along with his postdoc, Lothar Kador.[1][2] Optical study of single molecules has subsequently become a widely used single-molecule experiment in chemistry, physics and biology.[3] In 2014, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.[4][5]

    Bacteria-3D-Double-Helix.
    This image shows 3D super-resolution imaging of Caulobacter crescentus bacteria cell surfaces (gray) and a labeled protein (CreS, orange-red) obtained using the double-helix single-molecule active control microscopy technique.

    Early life and education

    Moerner was born in Pleasanton, California, in 1953 June 24 the son of Bertha Frances (Robinson) and William Alfred Moerner. He attended Washington University in St. Louis for undergraduate studies as an Alexander S. Langsdorf Engineering Fellow, and obtained three degrees: a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering, and an A.B. in mathematics in 1975.[6]

    He then pursued graduate study, partially supported by a National Science Foundation , at Cornell University in the group of Albert J. Sievers III.[7] Here he received an M.S. degree and a Ph.D. degree in physics in 1978 and 1982, respectively. His doctoral thesis was on vibrational relaxation dynamics of an IR-laser-excited molecular impurity mode in alkali halide lattices.[8] T

    Career

    Moerner worked at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California, as a research staff member from 1981 to 1988, a manager from 1988 to 1989, and project leader from 1989 to 1995. After an appointment as visiting guest professor of physical chemistry at ETH Zurich (1993–1994), he assumed the distinguished chair in physical chemistry in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego, from 1995 to 1998. In 1997 he was named the Robert Burns Woodward Visiting Professor at Harvard University. His research group moved to Stanford University in 1998, where he became professor of chemistry (1998), Harry S. Mosher Professor (2003), and professor, by courtesy, of applied physics (2005).[9][10][11] Moerner was appointed department chair for chemistry from 2011 to 2014.[12] His current areas of research and interest include: single-molecule spectroscopy and super-resolution microscopy, physical chemistry, chemical physics, biophysics, nanoparticle trapping, nanophotonics, photorefractive polymers, and spectral hole-burning.[10][13] As of May 2014, Moerner was listed as a faculty advisor in 26 theses written by Stanford graduate students.[14]

    Recent editorial and advisory boards Moerner has served on include: member of the Board of Scientific Counselors for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB);[15] Advisory board member for the Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academica Sinica, Taiwan;[16] advisory editorial board member for Chemical Physics Letters;[17] advisory board member for the Center for Biomedical Imaging at Stanford;[18] and chair of Stanford University's health and safety committee.[12]

    Awards and honors

    Moerner is the recipient the National Winner of the Outstanding Young Professional Award for 1984,[19] from the electrical engineering honorary society, Eta Kappa Nu, April 22, 1985; IBM Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for Photon-Gated Spectral Hole-Burning, July 11, 1988;[20] IBM Outstanding Technical Achievement Award for Single-Molecule Detection and Spectroscopy, November 22, 1992;[20] Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy, American Physical Society, 2001;[21] Wolf Prize in Chemistry, 2008;[22][23][24] Irving Langmuir Award in Chemical Physics, American Physical Society, 2009;[25][26] Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award, 2012;[27] Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 2013;[28][29] the Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, Washington University, 2013;[6] and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2014.[4][5] Moerner also holds more than a dozen patents.

    His honorary memberships include Senior Member, IEEE, June 17, 1988,[20] and Member, National Academy of Sciences, 2007.[30][31] He is also a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, May 28, 1992;[20][32] the American Physical Society, November 16, 1992;[33] the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2001;[34] and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2004.[35]

    Personal life

    Moerner was born on June 24, 1953, at Parks Air Force Base in Pleasanton, California. From birth, his family called him by his initials W. E. as a way to distinguish him from his father and grandfather who are also named William.[9] He grew up in Texas where he attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio. He participated in many activities during high school: Band, Speech and Debate, Math and Science Contest Team, Bi-Phy-Chem, Masque and Gavel, National Honor Society, Boy Scouts, Amateur Radio Club, Russian Club, Forum Social Club, Toastmasters, "On the Spot" Team and Editor of Each has Spoken. Moerner and his wife, Sharon, have one son, Daniel.[36]

    References

    1. ^ Reich, Ziv; Kapon, Ruti (8 June 2010). "Foreword by the Guest Editors". Israel Journal of Chemistry. 49 (3–4). Wiley: n/a. doi:10.1002/ijch.201090002. ISSN 0021-2148.
    2. ^ Moerner, W. E.; Kador, L. (22 May 1989). "Optical detection and spectroscopy of single molecules in a solid". Physical Review Letters. 62 (21). American Physical Society (APS): 2535–2538. Bibcode:1989PhRvL..62.2535M. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.62.2535. ISSN 0031-9007. PMID 10040013.
    3. ^ Gräslund, Astrid; Rigler, Rudolf; Widengren, Jerker, eds. (2010). "Single Molecule Spectroscopy in Chemistry, Physics and Biology". Springer Series in Chemical Physics. Vol. 96. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-02597-6. ISBN 978-3-642-02596-9. ISSN 0172-6218.
    4. ^ a b "Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2014." Nobelprize.org Archived 2016-03-10 at the Wayback Machine (accessed October 8, 2014).
    5. ^ a b "Professor W.E. Moerner wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry." Archived 2018-02-02 at the Wayback Machine Stanford Report, October 8, 2014 (accessed October 8, 2014).
    6. ^ a b Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, Washington University, 2013 Archived May 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 1, 2014).
    7. ^ Academic Family Tree Archived 2014-10-16 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed May 9, 2014.
    8. ^ Moerner, W. E. 1982. Vibrational relaxation dynamics of an IR-laser-excited molecular impurity mode in alkali halide lattices. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, Jan. 1982. 591 pages. Worldcat.org
    9. ^ a b Kan, L., & Lin, S. H. (2011). Wolf Prize in chemistry : an epitome of chemistry in 20th century and beyond Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine. Singapore: World Scientific. p. 556.
    10. ^ a b Stanford University. Department of Chemistry. Faculty. W. E. Moerner. Archived 2011-10-12 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 15, 2014).
    11. ^ "Stanford University. Department of Applied Physics. W. E. Moerner". Archived from the original on 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
    12. ^ a b W. E. Moerner | Stanford University Profiles (accessed May 15, 2014).
    13. ^ Spie (5 March 2015). "William E. Moerner plenary presentation: Single-molecule spectroscopy, imaging, and photocontrol – foundations for super-resolution microscopy". SPIE Newsroom. SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng. doi:10.1117/2.3201503.17. ISSN 1818-2259.
    14. ^ Stanford Searchworks Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed May 9, 2014.
    15. ^ NIBIB Board of Scientific Counselors Archived 2014-10-13 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 14, 2014).
    16. ^ Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academica Sinica, Taiwan, Advisory Board Archived 2014-10-12 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 14, 2014).
    17. ^ Chemical Physics Letters Editorial Board, Advisory Editorial Board Member Archived 2014-03-05 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 14, 2014).
    18. ^ Center for Biomedical Imaging at Stanford. People Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine(accessed May 15, 2014).
    19. ^ Eta Kappa Nu. Outstanding Young Professional Award. Past Award Recipients Archived 2013-08-03 at the Wayback Machine.(accessed May 1, 2014).
    20. ^ a b c d Full CV for W. E. (William Esco) Moerner Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 15, 2014).
    21. ^ Earle K. Plyler Prize for Molecular Spectroscopy & Dynamics. Archived 2007-02-10 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 1, 2014).
    22. ^ The 2008 Wolf Prize in Chemistry Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 1, 2014).
    23. ^ Hayley Rutger. 2008. "Professor William E. Moerner awarded Wolf Prize in Chemistry." Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Stanford Report, February 6, 2008.
    24. ^ Kan, L., & Lin, S. H. (2011). Wolf Prize in chemistry : an epitome of chemistry in 20th century and beyond Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine. Singapore: World Scientific. pp. 553–577.
    25. ^ 2009 Irving Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics Recipient Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 1 Mary 2014).
    26. ^ "W.E. Moerner wins chemical physics prize." Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Stanford Report, October 15, 2008.
    27. ^ Pittsburgh Spectroscopy Award, 2012 Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 1, 2014).
    28. ^ "ACS 2013 National Award Winners." Archived 2014-10-12 at the Wayback Machine C&EN 90 (34): 53–54 (August 20, 2012).
    29. ^ ACS Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry Archived 2015-01-09 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 1, 2014).
    30. ^ Mark Schwartz and Lisa Trei. 2007. "Five professors among new members elected to National Academy of Sciences." Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Stanford Report, May 3, 2007.
    31. ^ Nair, P. (9 April 2012). "QnAs with W. E. Moerner". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 109 (17): 6357. Bibcode:2012PNAS..109.6357N. doi:10.1073/pnas.1204426109. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 3340104. PMID 22493263.
    32. ^ Optical Society of America. Fellow Members Directory. Archived 2014-05-16 at archive.today (Members and registered users may search for current Fellow Members on-line in a directory.) Moerner is listed a Fellow for 1992 (accessed May 14, 2014).
    33. ^ APS Fellows Archived 2014-07-07 at the Wayback Machine (accessed May 1, 2014).
    34. ^ "Three Stanford professors elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences." Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine Stanford Report, May 2, 2001.
    35. ^ Mark Shwartz. 2003. "Five professors join the ranks of noted science fellows." Archived 2014-10-12 at the Wayback Machine Stanford Report, November 5, 2003.
    36. ^ Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association – Blog: Mustang Spotlight on W. E. Moerner '71 Archived 2021-11-29 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved September 16, 2013).isad
    Credit: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Moerner

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