The 2009 Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize is awarded to Elmer L. Gaden "for pioneering the engineering and commercialization of biological systems for large-scale manufacturing of antibiotics and other drugs."

His breakthroughs in developing technologies that provide the proper amount of oxygen needed for the growth of antibiotics -- known as "aerobic fermentation" -- allowed the drugs to be inexpensively manufactured and widely available. Dr. Gaden's achievements fostered a multi-billion dollar antibiotics industry and a field that has contributed immeasurably to the improvement of the human condition.

Elmer L. Gaden

Biography