In 1994, Ebright was awarded the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Schering-Plough Award for his research on transcription activation.[18] In 1995, he received the Academic Press Walter J. Johnson Prize.[19] In 2013, he received a National Institutes of Health MERIT Award.[20] He was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 1996,[21] the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2004,[22] the Infectious Diseases Society of America in 2011,[23] and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016.[24] He is the subject of a piece named "The Making of a Scientist" in a high school textbook published by NCERT (and recommended by the CBSE) in India.[25]
Ebright has stated that the genome and properties of SARS-CoV-2 provide no basis to conclude the virus was engineered as a bioweapon,[27][28] but he also has stated that the possibility that the virus entered humans through a laboratory accident cannot be dismissed and has called for a thorough investigation of the origin of the pandemic and for measures to reduce the risk of future pandemics.[29][30][31]
Ebright and fellow Rutgers University professor Bryce Nickels, who founded the non-profit advocacy group Biosafety Now with Ebright, have been vocal proponents of the COVID-19 lab leak theory.[34] The Los Angeles Times's Michael Hiltzik has said that Ebright has "been posting online insulations or accusations" of fraud, perjury, and murder regarding scientists that have supported a zoonotic origin of COVID-19 and dismissed the lab leak theory. Ebright has compared Fauci to Cambodian leader Pol Pot and claimed that Fauci's actions "likely killed 20 million people" and wrote that Peter Daszak was the author of a grant that "many people consider" to be the "‘Blueprint’ for SARS-CoV2". In 2024, Ebright was the subject of a formal complaint to Rutgers by 12 researchers, some of who said that Ebright was engaging in defamation and intimidation against them for their research that found a zoonotic origin of COVID-19 to be the most likely origin and found the lab leak to be "implausible".[35] In response, Ebright said that the complaint misrepresented him, and that he had never "threatened or incited violence against any of the signatories"[35] and in response to the letter he referred to the signatories of the letter as "provably coauthors of fraudsters and perjurers", claiming that the letter was "a crude effort to silence their opponents and, thereby, to prop up their collapsing narrative."[34]
Referencesedit
^ abc"Ebright, Richard H." Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
^ abcde"Dr. Richard H. Ebright". Waksman Institute, Rutgers University. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
^Ebright, R. H.; Cossart, P.; Gicquel-Sanzey, B.; Beckwith, J. (1984). "Mutations that alter the DNA sequence specificity of the catabolite gene activator protein of E. coli". Nature. 311 (5983): 232–235. Bibcode:1984Natur.311..232E. doi:10.1038/311232a0. PMID 6090927. S2CID 4261408.
^Mekler, V.; Kortkhonjia, E.; Mukhopadhyay, J.; Knight, J.; Revyakin, A.; Kapanidis, A.; Niu, W.; Ebright, Y.; Levy, R.; Ebright, R. H. (2002). "Structural organization of bacterial RNA polymerase holoenzyme and the RNA polymerase-promoter open complex". Cell. 108 (5): 599–614. doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(02)00667-0. PMID 11893332. S2CID 4938696.
^Zhang, Y.; Feng, Y.; Chatterjee, S.; Tuske, S.; Ho, M. X.; Arnold, E.; Ebright, R. H. (2012). "Structural Basis of Transcription Initiation". Science. 338 (6110): 1076–80. Bibcode:2012Sci...338.1076Z. doi:10.1126/science.1227786. PMC3593053. PMID 23086998.
^Chakraborty, A.; Wang, D.; Ebright, Y.; Korlann, Y.; Kortkhonjia, E.; Kim, T.; Chowdhury, S.; Wigneshweraraj, S.; Irschik, H.; Jansen, R.; Nixon, B.T.; Knight, J.; Weiss, S.; Ebright, R. H. (2012). "Opening and closing of the bacterial RNA polymerase clamp". Science. 337 (6094): 591–595. Bibcode:2012Sci...337..591C. doi:10.1126/science.1218716. PMC3626110. PMID 22859489.
^Kapanidis, A. N.; Margeat, E.; Ho, S. O.; Kortkhonjia, E.; Weiss, S.; Ebright, R. H. (2006). "Initial transcription by RNA polymerase proceeds through a DNA-scrunching mechanism". Science. 314 (5802): 1144–1147. Bibcode:2006Sci...314.1144K. doi:10.1126/science.1131399. PMC2754788. PMID 17110578.
^Revyakin, A.; Liu, C.; Ebright, R. H.; Strick, T. (2006). "Abortive initiation and productive initiation by RNA polymerase involve DNA scrunching". Science. 314 (5802): 1139–1143. Bibcode:2006Sci...314.1139R. doi:10.1126/science.1131398. PMC2754787. PMID 17110577.
^Heyduk, T.; Lee, J.; Ebright, Y.; Blatter, E.; Zhou, Y.; Ebright, R. H. (1993). "CAP interacts with RNA polymerase in solution in the absence of promoter DNA". Nature. 364 (6437): 548–549. Bibcode:1993Natur.364..548H. doi:10.1038/364548a0. PMID 8393148. S2CID 4248533.
^Benoff, B.; Yang, H.; Lawson, C. L.; Parkinson, G.; Liu, J.; Blatter, E.; Ebright, Y. W.; Berman, H. M.; Arnold, E.; Ebright, R. H. (2002). "Structural basis of transcription activation: the CAP-alphaCTD-DNA complex". Science. 297 (5586): 1562–1566. Bibcode:2002Sci...297.1562B. doi:10.1126/science.1076376. PMID 12202833. S2CID 17422837.
^Feng, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Ebright, R. H. (2016). "Structural basis of transcription activation". Science. 352 (6291): 1330–1333. Bibcode:2016Sci...352.1330F. doi:10.1126/science.aaf4417. PMC4905602. PMID 27284196.
^Wang, C.; Molodtsov, V.; Firlar, E.; Kaelber, J.; Blaha, G.; Su, M. & Ebright, R. H. (2020). "Structural basis of transcription-translation coupling". Science. 369 (6509): 1359–1365. Bibcode:2020Sci...369.1359W. doi:10.1126/science.abb5317. PMC7566311. PMID 32820061.
^Molodtsov, V.; Wang, C.; Firlar, E.; Kaelber, J. & Ebright, R. H. (2023). "Structural basis of Rho-dependent transcription termination". Nature. 614 (7947): 367–374. Bibcode:2023Natur.614..367M. doi:10.1038/s41586-022-05658-1. PMC9911385. PMID 36697824.
^Rashid, F. & Berger, J. (2023). "Protein structure terminates doubt about how transcription stops". Nature. 614 (7947): 237–238. Bibcode:2023Natur.614..237R. doi:10.1038/d41586-023-00121-1. PMID 36697726.
^Mukhopadhyay, J.; Das, K.; Ismail, S.; Koppstein, D.; Jang, M.; Hudson, B.; Sarafianos, S.; Tuske, S.; Patel, J.; Jansen, R.; Irschik, H.; Arnold, E. & Ebright, R. H. (2008). "The RNA polymerase "switch region" is a target for inhibitors". Cell. 135 (2): 295–307. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2008.09.033. PMC2580802. PMID 18957204.
^Maffioli, S.; Zhang, Y.; Degen, D.; Carzaniga, T.; Del Gatto, G.; Serina, S.; Monciardini, P.; Mazzetti, C.; Guglierame, P.; Candiani, G.; Chiriac, A. I.; Facchetti, G.; Kaltofen, P.; Sahl, H.-G.; Dehò, G.; Donadio, S. & Ebright, R. H. (2017). "Antibacterial nucleoside-analog inhibitor of bacterial RNA polymerase". Cell. 169 (7): 1240–1248. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2017.05.042. PMC5542026. PMID 28622509.
^"ASBMB/Schering-Plough Research Institute Award". Retrieved October 8, 2011.
^"The Walter J. Johnson Prize, 1995". Journal of Molecular Biology. 251 (3): 329. 1995. PMID 7650734.
^"Gifts & Grants". Rutgers University Faculty and Staff Bulletin. June 12, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
^"American Academy of Microbiology Fellowship Directory". Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
^"AAAS Council Honors 308 Members for Their Contributions to Science" (Press release). AAAS. November 1, 2004. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
^"Congratulations, New IDSA Fellows!". IDSA News. July–August 2011. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
^"American Academy of Arts and Sciences Elects 213 National and International Scholars, Artists, Philanthropists, and Business and Civic Leaders" (Press release). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
^Footprints Without Feet (December 2017 ed.). India: NCERT. 2007. pp. 32–38. ISBN 978-81-7450-709-9.
^See, for example, the following:
Sources describing his opposition to proliferation of laboratories working on biological weapons agents:
Connell, N.; Ebright, R. H. (2002). "Bioweapon agents: more access means more risk". Nature. 415 (6870): 364. Bibcode:2002Natur.415..364E. doi:10.1038/415364b. PMID 11807521.
Shane, S. (March 1, 2005). "U.S. Germ-Research Policy Is Protested by 758 Scientists". The New York Times.
Broad, W. (June 29, 2005). "In a Lonely Stand, a Scientist Takes On National Security Dogma". The New York Times.
Lipton, E.; Shane, S. (August 3, 2008). "As biodefense field grows, so may risks". The New York Times.
Sources describing his support for strengthening of biosafety and biosecurity measures:
Ebright, R. H. (2012). "Mitigate the risks of release". Nature. 481 (7381): 257–259. doi:10.1038/481257a. PMC7095491. PMID 22246325.
Grady, D.; McNeil, D. (December 26, 2011). "Debate Persists on Deadly Flu Made Airborne". The New York Times.
Fausset, R.; McNeil, D. (July 13, 2014). "After Lapses, C.D.C. Admits a Lax Culture at Labs". The New York Times.
Grady, D. (July 19, 2014). "Pathogen Mishaps Rise as Regulators Stay Clear". The New York Times.
McNeil, D. (September 24, 2014). "White House Issues New Regulations for Dangerous Biological Research". The New York Times.
McNeil, D. (December 19, 2017). "A Federal Ban on Making Lethal Viruses Is Lifted". The New York Times.
Grady, D.; McNeil, D. (December 24, 2017). "Ebola Sample Is Mishandled at C.D.C. Lab in Latest Error". The New York Times.
^Taylor, A. (January 29, 2020). "Experts debunk fringe theory linking China's coronavirus to weapons research". The Washington Post.
^Firozi, P. (February 17, 2020). "Tom Cotton keeps repeating a coronavirus fringe theory that scientists have disputed". The Washington Post.
^Cohen, J. (January 31, 2020). "Mining coronavirus genomes for clues to the outbreak's origins". Science.
^Warrick, J.; Nakashima, E.; Harris, S.; Fifield, A. (May 1, 2020). "Chinese lab conducted extensive research on deadly bat viruses, but there is no evidence of accidental release". The Washington Post.
^Zimmer, C.; Gorman, J. (June 7, 2021). "Fight Over Covid's Origins Renews Debate on Risks of Lab Work". The New York Times.
^Schemmel, Alec (October 21, 2021). "NIH letter appears to conflict with Fauci, Collins claims about Wuhan lab". Retrieved November 9, 2021.
^"The repeated claim that Fauci lied to Congress about 'gain-of-function' research". Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
^ abKaiser, Jocelyn (March 15, 2024). 'Lab-leak' proponents at Rutgers accused of defaming and intimidating COVID-19 origin researchers (Report). Science. doi:10.1126/science.znoov39.
^ abHiltzik, Michael (March 20, 2024). "Column: Two Rutgers professors are accused of poisoning the debate over COVID's origins. Here's why". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
External linksedit
Wikiquote has quotations related to Richard H. Ebright.
Waksman Institute faculty webpage
Publications by Richard H. Ebright on Google Scholar