[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY BEING AWARDED TO DR. AZIZ 
                                 SANCAR

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 23, 2016

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I would like 
to recognize the tremendous accomplishment of Dr. Aziz Sancar for 
winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He and his team have been working 
for decades to understand human DNA more thoroughly, and have recently 
made a breakthrough in mapping DNA repair.
  Originally from Turkey, Dr. Sancar earned his Ph.D. in molecular and 
cell biology from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1977. It was 
during his time at UT-Dallas that Dr. Sancar successfully purified and 
described a bacterial enzyme called photolyase. This discovery was 
integral to his work that won him the Nobel Prize. Dr. Sancar was 
granted the status as a distinguished alumnus of UT-Dallas in 2009. His 
Nobel Prize is the icing atop the cake of his everlasting contribution 
to UT-Dallas and its doctoral program in molecular and cell biology. He 
is the first alumnus to win a Nobel Prize.
  Dr. Sancar is the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and 
Biophysics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He 
has been there since 1982. The work he has done at his lab on mapping 
the cellular mechanisms that underlie DNA repair, which occurs every 
single minute of the day in response to damage caused by outside 
forces, such as ultraviolet radiation and other environmental factors, 
is the reason he won the Nobel Prize. In particular, Sancar mapped 
nucleotide excision repair, which is vital to DNA subjected to UV 
damage. His work will create a better system of identifying how cancer 
drugs target cancer cells, and will improve treatment.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the U.S. Turkish Congressional Caucus, I 
want to express how much I value Turkish Americans' scientific, 
political, athletic and artistic contributions to America's rich 
mosaic. I congratulate Dr. Sancar for his hard work in mapping DNA 
repair, potential for advancements in cancer treatment, and pride he 
has brought UT-Dallas and the greater Dallas community in winning the 
Nobel Prize. And therefore, I want to formally recognize the brilliant 
Dr. Aziz Sancar in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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