UMBI President to receive industrial microbiology award

August 4, 1997 -- The Society for Industrial Microbiology will present University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute President Rita R. Colwell the Charles Thom Award for her scientific achievements. She is the first individual woman to receive this distinction in the 30 years since it has been given. The award will be presented on August 7 during the SIM annual meeting in Reno, NV.

Thom, this award is given annually to an individual who has made outstanding research contributions in industrial microbiology or biotechnology, advancing either basic or applied scientific knowledge. Dr. Thom was known for his broad scientific interests and service to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Public Health Service.

Dr. Colwell's prolific and seminal research includes landmark contributions in marine biotechnology and the molecular genetics of marine and estuarine bacteria, the microbiology of the Chesapeake Bay, coastal recreational waters, and the deep ocean. Her current work involves use of satellite imagery and remote sensing to determine environmental conditions associated with cholera epidemics. She also has investigated survival of pathogens in the aquatic environment, temperature and high pressure effects on marine bacteria, and release of genetically engineered microorganisms into the environment.

A long-standing member of SIM and a Fellow since 1988, Dr. Colwell also currently chairs the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Microbiology. She is a former president of the American Society for Microbiology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the International Union of Microbiological Societies and the recipient of numerous scientific awards and honorary degrees. In addition to more than 400 articles and papers in technical literature, Dr. Colwell is an inventor as well as a basic scientist, holding several U.S. patents. She is a leader in technology transfer and establishing effective interactions between industry and the university.

In conjunction with receiving the Thom Award on August 7, Dr. Colwell will deliver a lecture titled "Global Climate and Infectious Disease: Cholera In Our Time." An infectious disease that is endemic in Asia and recurring on other continents as well, usually via contaminated water, cholera outbreaks continue to be the cause of epidemics in underdeveloped countries. Remote sensing by satellite and use of computer processing techniques have clarified the relationship between cholera and plankton, or tiny aquatic plants and animals, as well as other measurable characteristics of the sea such as temperature and height. Knowledge of these relationships may lead to predicting conditions favorable to disease outbreaks, with future research possibly leading to prevention of cholera epidemics.

SIM is a professional society dedicated to the advancement of the microbiological sciences especially as they apply to industrial products, biotechnology, materials and processes. SIM's membership is international in scope and includes research scientists employed in the areas of pharmaceuticals, fermentation, agbiologicals, food and cosmetic microbiology, biocides and bioremediation, among others.