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On Friday, January 27, 2012, after a short battle with illness, we lost a friend and colleague, Dr. Michael W. Day. Mike was Director of the Beckman Institute X-ray Crystallography Facility and of the Molecular Observatory.
As a Masters student at Cal State Northridge, Mike worked for Ken Hardcastle and Ed Rosenberg. There he solved a series of small molecule structures and "caught the bug" for X-ray crystallography in a major way. He came to Caltech as a graduate student in Chemistry in 1990. By the time he had completed his PhD with Doug Rees in 1995, he had solved the first structure of a protein isolated from a hyperthermophilic organism (the P. furiosus rubredoxin) and was also deeply involved in refining the structure of the A. vinelandii nitrogenase MoFe-protein responsible for biological nitrogen fixation. After graduation, Mike joined the Beckman Institute X-ray Crystallography Facility, becoming Director in 1997. Since that time, Mike and Staff Crystallographer Larry Henling provided numerous graduate students and postdocs with individualized attention and advice about their crystallographic problems, a tradition dating back to Noyes and Pauling, continuing with Dick Marsh through to the present. In recognition of this work, Mike received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Cal State Northridge in 2000. As the instructor in Ch 122 "Structure Determination by X-ray Crystallography", Mike provided a more formal development of crystallography that was greatly appreciated by students, many of whom went in thinking that diffraction could not possibly be covered in a way that would be comprehensible, much less enjoyable. One undergraduate wrote (unsolicited) after this past Fall term "I can't think of many classes I've enjoyed here as much as Professor Day's Ch 122."
From his arrival at Caltech, Mike understood that the future of crystallography involved the integration of small molecule and macromolecular crystallography. He was a major force behind the establishment of the Molecular Observatory that was the realization of his dream.
These would have been significant enough accomplishments, but they were the more extraordinary given the extent of Mike's paralysis that restricted him to a wheel chair with only limited movement of his arms. As the license plate frame on a previous van stated, however, "Disabled Does Not Mean Unable." He was tenacious and persistent, yet patient, and had an unwavering dedication to crystallography. Mike succeeded in living life on his own terms, which was an inspiration to many of us.
~Prof. Doug Rees
MISSION AND ORGANIZATION
The mission of the Beckman Institute is to invent methods, instrumentation and materials that will open new avenues for fundamental research in the chemical and biological sciences, and to provide technological support for these efforts. The Beckman Institute strives to provide the kind of environment and support that will foster the initiation and early development of research thrusts too innovative or too "high-risk" for the regular sources of research support in government and industry. Activities within the Beckman Institute will be characterized by their promise of significant technological advances in fundamental fields of biology, chemistry and related sciences. The new knowledge that results will ultimately lead to great practical benefits for society and mankind. The Beckman Institute will also further the educational mission of Caltech by actively involving students in its activities.
The Beckman Institute operates as a cross-divisional research facility
and research-facilitating organization within Academic Operations of the
California Institute of Technology. Policy and program decisions are made
by the Director, currently Dr. Barbara Wold, in conjunction with the Beckman
Institute Executive Committee (BIXC), which consists of the chairpersons
of the Chemistry & Chemical Engineering and Biology Divisions plus
additional faculty members.
The BIXC Members:
RESOURCE CENTERS AND FACILITIES
To achieve its objectives, the framers of the Beckman Institute Charter created the concept of "Resource Center". The Resource Centers are the major programs housed within the Beckman Institute building. Each has a tripartite mission within its particular area of research focus:
• to carry out cutting-edge research
• to advance research capabilities by means of the invention and development of new methods, instrumentation and materials
• to establish, maintain and operate a user-friendly facility relevant and available to a broad cross-section of the research community, particularly at Caltech.
There are seven Resource Centers housed within and partly supported by the Beckman Institute. In addition, the Beckman Institute supports a number of programs which are more appropriately classed as Facilities, whose main function is the provision and operation of instrumentation and methodologies that are essential to a broad cross-section of research activity in the chemical and biological sciences at Caltech. These facilities are frequently engaged in technology development as well, but have much less emphasis on basic research than do the Resource Centers.
The Resource Centers and Facilities, along with the names of their directors,
are listed below. A Beckman Institute catalog describes the activities, capablities and services
available in the Resource Centers and the Facilities, as well as contact information.
More details may be found on individual Web sites where links are shown.
• BIOLOGICAL IMAGING CENTER: Scott E. Fraser, PI, Rosen Professor of Biology.
• BIOMOLECULAR DESIGN CENTER: Jacqueline K. Barton, co-PI, Hanish Memorial Professor; Peter B. Dervan, co-PI, Bren Professor of Chemistry.
• LASER SPECTROSCOPY CENTER: Harry B. Gray, PI, Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry, Founding Director of the Beckman Institute.
• MASS SPECTROSCOPY CENTER: Jesse L. Beauchamp, PI, Professor of Chemistry.
• MOLECULAR MATERIALS RESEARCH CENTER: Nathan Lewis, PI, Argyros Professor of Chemistry; Dr. Bruce S. Brunschwig, Director.
• CENTER FOR COMPUTATIONAL REGULATORY GENOMICS: Eric Davidson, PI, Chandler Professor of Cell Biology; Dr. Andrew Cameron, Director.
•PROTEOME EXPLORATION LABORATORY: Raymond Deshaies, PI, Associate Professor of Biology; Dr. Sonja Hess, Director.
•BIOLOGICAL NETWORK MODELING CENTER: Elliot Meyerowitz, Michael Elowitz and Anand Asthagiri, Co-PIs; Dr. Bruce Shapiro, Director.
•ELECTRON MICROSCOPY RESOURCE CENTER:Grant J. Jensen, PI, Assistant Professor of Biology; Dr. Alasdair W. McDowall, Director.
• PROTEIN EXPRESSION CENTER: Dr. Jost Vielmetter, Director.
• PROTEIN/PEPTIDE MICRO ANALYTICAL LABORATORY (Biopolymer Analysis Facility): Director TBA.
• FLOW CYTOMETRY/CELL SORTING FACILITY: Dr. Ellen Rothenberg, Director.
• X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY FACILITY: Director TBA.
PUBLIC SPACE
The Beckman Institute has several venues suitable for classes, seminars
and conferences. The largest of these rooms is the Beckman Institute Auditorium
which has a capacity of 200 and is equipped with built-in LCD projector, viewing screen (for overheads, slides and video), and blackboards. There are several smaller seminar rooms. The inner courtyard, known as the Glanville Courtyard,
is generally used in conjunction with one or both of the archway areas for outdoor events such as receptions.