“Both of these scientists’ stellar records in microbial research are recognized by their election as AAM fellows,” said Clay Fuqua, professor and chair of the Department of Biology, in a press release. “They, along with the other fellows in our department, clearly demonstrate the impact of the department’s microbiology research and of the caliber of scientists who base their investigations at IU.”
Bell is a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biology and the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. He studies the molecular and cellular biology of the Archaea, a domain of single-celled microorganisms without nuclei.
Bell is particularly interested in their mechanisms for DNA replication and cell division, as these represent a simplified, ancestral version of the same mechanisms in humans and therefore provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, according to the release.
Kehoe is a professor in the Department of Biology specializing in photobiology. He is particularly interested in cyanobacteria, oxygen-producing microorganisms that gave rise to land plants and are present in nearly every type of habitat on Earth, according to the release.
The American Academy of Microbiology elected 79 fellows in 2015. Fellows of the academy are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process based on their records of scientific achievement and original contributions which have advanced ?microbiology.
There are over 2,400 fellows representing all subspecialties of microbiology, including basic and applied research, teaching, public health, industry and government service.
Other recent IU inductees to the academy include Roger Innes in 2011 and Fuqua in 2014.
The American Academy of Microbiology, formed in 1955, is the world’s oldest and largest life science ?organization.
Tori Lawhorn
