NYC Gazette

Two New York University scientists, Professors K. Heran Darwin and Michael Purugganan, have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. K. Heran Darwin, a microbiologist at Grossman School of Medicine, has dedicated her career to studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis, aiming to identify activities in the bacteria that could be targeted by new drugs to treat tuberculosis. She described her research as focusing on characterizing a protease complex in M. tuberculosis that is crucial for the bacteria's ability to cause lethal infections in a host.

On the other hand, Michael Purugganan, a plant geneticist at NYU's Department of Biology and the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, is known for his work in plant evolutionary genomics. He concentrates on identifying the molecular basis for how plants evolve in nature, particularly focusing on the evolution and domestication of crops like rice, millet, and dates. Purugganan emphasized the importance of understanding how crops respond to environmental pressures to develop plant species that can address challenges such as climate change and drought.

The National Academy of Sciences, along with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, provides crucial science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. With 23 NYU faculty members elected to the National Academy of Sciences in the past decade, the university continues to make significant contributions to the scientific community. A full list of this year's elected members can be accessed on the National Academy of Sciences' website.