Digitalrailroad.net member Stuart Isett's image of Dr. Leroy Hood, biologist and DNA specialist, was featured in an article on the "10 Hottest Nerds" published in the October 15th edition of Newsweek Magazine.

Photo Credit © Stuart Isett/drr.net

Dr. Hood was selected for this distinction based on his pioneering work in the study of molecular immunology, biotechnology, and genomics. His professional career began at CalTech where he and his colleagues pioneered four instruments — the DNA gene sequencer and synthesizer, and the protein synthesizer and sequencer — which comprise the technological foundation for contemporary molecular biology.

In 2000, he co-founded the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Washington to pioneer systems approaches to biology and medicine. Most recently, Dr. Hood's lifelong contributions to biotechnology have earned him the prestigious 2004 Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics. He was also awarded the 2003 Lemelson—MIT Prize for Innovation and Invention, the 2002 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology and the 1987 Lasker Prize for his studies on the mechanism of immune diversity. He has published more than 500 peer-reviewed papers, received 14 patents, and has co-authored textbooks in biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology, and genetics, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Association of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine.