Norman R.

Pace
Norman Richard Pace Jr. (born 1942)[1] is an
American biochemist, and is Distinguished Professor Norman Richard Pace Jr.
Emeritus of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Born 1942 (age 81–82)
Biology at the University of Colorado.[2] He is Indiana, U.S.
principal investigator at the Pace lab.[3] Education Indiana University,
University of Illinois
Known for RNA Processing
Early life and education Scientific career

Pace was born and raised in rural Indiana.[4] When he Fields Biochemistry, Microbiology
was a high school student, Pace attended a summer Institutions National Jewish Hospital
science program at Indiana University in which he and Research Center
worked in the laboratory of microbiologist Dean University of Colorado
Fraser. His participation led to a co-authorship on a Medical Center
scientific paper.[5] Indiana University

He graduated with honors in 1964 from Indiana University of California,

University with an A.B., and later from the University Berkeley
of Illinois in 1967 with a Ph.D.[6] At Illinois, Pace University of Colorado at
worked under the guidance of Sol Spiegelman.[7] After Boulder
receiving his PhD in 1967, Pace remained at Illinois Thesis In vitro studies of viral RNA
for the next two years as a post doctoral fellow. replication (https://www.ide
als.illinois.edu/handle/214
2/61475) (1967)
Career Doctoral advisor Sol Spiegelman

In 1969, Pace moved to Denver and simultaneously Other academic Dean Fraser (IU)
held teaching positions at both the National Jewish advisors
Hospital and Research Center and the University of Notable students W. Ford Doolittle (post doc)
Colorado Medical Center for three years as an assistant David A. Stahl (post doc)
professor of biophysics and genetics. In 1975, Pace
Website pacelab.colorado.edu/PI
was promoted to associate professor of biophysics and
_NormPace.html (http://pac
genetics at the University of Colorado Medical Center
elab.colorado.edu/PI_Norm
and he dropped his affiliation with the National Jewish
Pace.html)
Hospital. In 1982, Pace was promoted to a full
professor of biochemistry, biophysics, and genetics.

In 1984, he moved to Indiana University as a professor of biology and was named distinguished professor
of biology in 1992. In 1994 he was named distinguished professor of biology and chemistry.
In 1996, Pace moved to University of California, Berkeley as a professor of plant and microbial biology,
and molecular and cell biology for a stay of three years before being recruited to the University of
Colorado, Boulder, in 1999 as a professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology (MCDB). He
was named distinguished professor of MDCB in 2008.

He was bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Indiana University on May 4, 2018,
and gave the inaugural Norman R. Pace Lecture on May 7, 2018.

He has worked with the NASA Astrobiology Institute.[8]

Research
Pace's research involved the synthesis, structure, and function of RNA and the application of molecular
biology tools to problems in environmental microbial biology. Particularly this was the ability to study
microbes that weren't easy to culture in the lab, by extracting nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) from
environmental samples. This work is regarded as the beginning of metagenomic analysis, a new approach
in studying organisms.[9]

Personal life
Pace married, divorced, and later remarried Bernadette Pace, a PhD microbiologist and a professional
trapeze artist. He's also an avid caver, receiving the Lew Bicking Award in 1987 [10][11]

Awards
1987 Lew Bicking Award[12]
1991 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1991 Member of the National Academy of Sciences[13]
2001 Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology of the National Academy of
Sciences[14][15]
2001 MacArthur Fellows Program[16]
2007 Abbott-American Society for Microbiology Lifetime Achievement Award
2008 RNA Society Lifetime Achievement Award
2008 International Society of Microbial Ecology Tiedje Award for Lifetime Achievement
2017 Massry Prize[17]
2018 Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Indiana University[4]
2019 Stanley Miller Medal[18]

References
1. "Book of Members, 1780-2010: Chapter P" (http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMe
mbers/ChapterP.pdf) (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 16 April
2011.
 2. "Norm Pace — MCD Biology University of Colorado Boulder" (http://mcdb.colorado.edu/spot
lights/faculty/norm-pace). Mcdb.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
3. "Pace Lab- Dr. Norm Pace" (http://pacelab.colorado.edu/PI_NormPace.html).
Pacelab.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
4. Microbiology pioneer and leader Norm Pace to present special seminar (https://biology.india
na.edu/news-events/news/2018/pace-lecture.html), Indiana University, May 1, 2018
5. Pace, Norman R. (August 24, 2018). "The small things can matter" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.ni
h.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6126870). PLOS Biology. 16 (8): e3000009.
doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000009 (https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.3000009).
PMC 6126870 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6126870). PMID 30142153
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30142153).
6. Pace, Norman Richard (1967). In Vitro Studies Of Viral Rna Replication (https://www.ideals.i
llinois.edu/handle/2142/61475) (Ph.D.). University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
OCLC 932256982 (https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/932256982). ProQuest 302231264 (http
s://search.proquest.com/docview/302231264).
7. Watanabe, Myrna (September 6, 1993). "Huge Microbe's Value Lies In More Than Just
Sheer Size" (https://www.the-scientist.com/research/huge-microbes-value-lies-in-more-than-
just-sheer-size-59568). The Scientist Magazine.
8. "Norman Pace « Profile « Directory « NASA Astrobiology" (https://web.archive.org/web/2009
0827092915/http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/directory/profile/497/norman/pace/).
Astrobiology.nasa.gov. Archived from the original (https://astrobiology.nasa.gov/directory/pro
file/497/Norman/Pace/) on 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
9. Fuhrman, Jed A. (August 1, 2012). "Metagenomics and its connection to microbial
community organization" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3410722). F1000
Biol. Rep. 4 (15): 15. doi:10.3410/B4-15 (https://doi.org/10.3410%2FB4-15). PMC 3410722
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3410722). PMID 22912649 (https://pubmed.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22912649).
10. Yong, Ed (July 20, 2017). "The Man Who Blew The Door Off The Microbial World" (https://w
ww.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/07/the-man-who-blew-the-door-off-the-microbial-w
orld/534246/). The Atlantic.
11. "Lew Bicking Award Recipients" (https://legacy.caves.org/committee/award/bickingAwardee
s.shtml).
12. "Lew Bicking Award Recipients" (https://caves.org/nss-awards/lew-bicking-award/lew-bickin
g-award-recipients/).
13. "Membership Directory: Norman R. Pace" (http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/mem
bers/46247.html). National Academy of Sciences.
14. "Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology" (https://web.archive.org/web/2010122918005
5/http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_chemical_sciences).
National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original (http://www.nasonline.org/site/Pag
eServer?pagename=AWARDS_chemical_sciences) on 29 December 2010. Retrieved
27 February 2011.
15. "CU-Boulder Microbiologist Receives National Academy Of Sciences Award | News Center |
University of Colorado at Boulder" (http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2001/20.html).
Colorado.edu. 2001-01-18. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
16. "CU-Boulder Biology Professor Wins 2001 MacArthur Fellowship | News Center | University
of Colorado at Boulder" (http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2001/452.html).
Colorado.edu. 2001-10-24. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
17. Knoss, Trent (August 9, 2017). "2017 Massry Prize honors Norman Pace" (https://www.color
ado.edu/today/2017/08/09/2017-massry-prize-honors-norman-pace). CU Boulder Today.
18. "Academy Honors 18 for Major Contributions to Science" (http://www.nasonline.org/news-an
d-multimedia/news/2019-nas-awards-recipients.html). National Academy of Sciences (Press
release). January 23, 2019.
External links
Pace lab (http://pacelab.colorado.edu/)
The Atlantic - The Man Who Blew The Door Off The Microbial World (https://www.theatlantic.
com/science/archive/2017/07/the-man-who-blew-the-door-off-the-microbial-world/534246/)

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