Gratton Wins 2019 BPS Avanti Award in Lipids

Gratton has spent more than 30 years developing and applying spectroscopy techniques to study biological membranes08.16.18 - The Biophysical Society has named Samueli School professor Enrico Gratton its 2019 Avanti Award in Lipids winner. BPS will honor Gratton at its 63rd annual meeting next spring in Baltimore, Maryland.

Biophysics is a field that applies the theories and methods of physics to the understanding of biological systems. Gratton, professor of biomedical engineering, is being honored for his more than 30 years of pioneering work in the development and application of spectroscopy techniques for the study of biological membranes. His work has led to the determination of membrane heterogeneity and membrane nanodomains.

"It is a real pleasure and a great honor to be the recipient of the 2019 Avanti Award in Lipids. I have dedicated many of my efforts to the study of lipids using fluorescence techniques,” said Gratton, who is the principal investigator for UC Irvine’s Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, the country’s only national research center dedicated to fluorescence. He adds: “Clearly, I could not have written the papers and developed the ideas without the contributions of incredible collaborators who have inspired me in this research for many years."

BPS President Angela Gronenborn, from the University of Pittsburg, praised Gratton’s impact on the field. “The Avanti Award provides the society the opportunity to highlight and reflect on a researcher’s career and his or her lifetime contributions to biophysics,” she said. “Enrico has been furthering our understanding of biophysics for over 30 years and we look forward to honoring his lifetime’s work.”

- Anna Lynn Spitzer