2002 GSA Honors and Awards

The 2002 George W. Beadle Medal

THE 2002 Beadle Medal of the Genetics Society of America is awarded to Robert Mortimer and André Goffeau for their outstanding contributions to the development of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an experimental organism. The availability of genome resources for this important model organism, which is now taken for granted, is in large part due to the extraordinary efforts of these two individuals. Bob Mortimer launched the yeast genome project in the early 1950s, when he began to produce a genetic map of the yeast genome. The project was brought to fruition through the efforts of André Goffeau, who initiated and successfully led the yeast genome sequencing project.

It is difficult to exaggerate the importance of S. cerevisiae as an experimental organism. The results of decades of studying the organism form a cornerstone of our knowledge base of cellular and molecular biology. Mortimer and his colleagues provided genetic tools for analyzing yeast that fueled development of the organism as an experimental system for several decades. By revealing all the genes of the organism, the yeast genome sequence determined by Goffeau and his collaborators opened the way to the systematic study of gene function. In addition, it stimulated scientists working with other organisms to address their biological problems through incisive experiments with yeast, offering the opportunity to realize a much deeper understanding of cell function. The completion of the yeast genome sequence transformed experimental biology by ushering in the current era of whole genome analysis that is providing great insights into global gene regulation, gene function, and genome evolution. Clearly, Bob Mortimer and André Goffeau have had a huge impact on biological research.

Bob Mortimer is the person most responsible for development of the yeast genetic map, which he pursued from the 1950s right until the genome sequence became available in the middle 1990s. This indispensable resource cemented the position of yeast as a premier experimental organism. The Yeast Genetic Stock Center he founded was the forerunner of the yeast genome resources available today. Mortimer's discovery of an easy method of digesting asci made tetrad analysis a technique accessible to many scientists. His generosity with the reagents he developed and the information he learned set a standard of collegiality that is still enjoyed by everyone working with yeast.

Mortimer's early characterization of the radiation biology of yeast laid the groundwork for the widespread use of Saccharomyces in understanding DNA repair. He and his colleagues identified the major RAD genes involved in DNA repair. His contributions to our understanding of meiotic recombination, especially gene conversion in yeast, was crucial for subsequent model building and theoretical understanding of recombination mechanisms. Mortimer was one of the first people to identify and characterize translational suppressors in yeast, which are now part of the genetic landscape of the organism, and have been widely used to understand the nature of prions. Even in retirement, he continues to make significant contributions to our understanding of the ecology and natural history of yeasts.

André Goffeau had already achieved international recognition as a world expert in yeast energetics and membrane proteins when he turned his attention to sequencing the yeast genome. Goffeau's discovery of the plasma membrane H⁺-ATPase opened to research an important area of yeast cell biology. Much of what we know about the ABC (ATP binding cassette) transporters in yeast cells, which informs how human cells become resistant to anticancer drugs, stems from Goffeau's work. Goffeau was one of the first people to foresee the importance of knowing the DNA sequence of entire genomes. He and Steve Oliver began to advocate for sequencing the yeast genome in the middle 1980s, when many people were skeptical of (indeed, even hostile to) the idea that an organized effort to sequence the yeast genome was advisable. Goffeau organized and led the successful worldwide effort to determine the sequence of the yeast genome. He first convinced his colleagues in Europe to mount the sequencing effort, and he was effective in securing the necessary funding for this project from the European Commission. The success of Oliver, Goffeau, and their European colleagues in determining the sequence of yeast chromosome III stimulated others around the world to join the project, which was completed, ahead of schedule, in 1996. André Goffeau's collegial, cooperative, and capable leadership of this international project was recognized by his position as the first of 633 authors of The Yeast Genome Directory, a special issue of Nature published in 1997.

André Goffeau's vision of how the sequence of the yeast genome should be determined—by many investigators collaborating worldwide—was followed by the Human Genome Project. It stimulated yeast research worldwide and fostered a collaborative spirit that continues today. Goffeau played a major role in setting the standards for the entire field of genome sequencing by his insistence on high standards for sequence quality and completeness. Largely because of his leadership, the yeast genome sequence is very accurate and still stands as the most complete genome sequence on record.

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