Records of the American Chemical Society Division of Biochemical Technology

The Division of Biochemical Technology (BIOT) is a currently active division of the American Chemical Society. Its origins date back to 1936, when the idea of a Fermentation Section within the ACS was suggested by Clair S. Boruff. In response to increasing interest, a Fermentation Section was established in 1946 under the sanction of the ACS’ Agricultural and Food Chemistry Division, with Boruff serving as its first chairman. The new section was charged with working to foster fermentation research, development, and production. It was re-designated as the Fermentation Subdivision in 1949.

The new subdivision grew quickly. In 1961 it was granted divisional status and renamed the Fermentation Division. The Fermentation Division achieved permanent divisional status in 1963 and was renamed the Division of Microbial Chemistry and Technology that same year. To reflect the broadening interests of its membership, the division was renamed the Microbial Biochemical Technology Division in 1976. In recognition of the increasing importance of biotechnology within the ACS, the division was renamed the Division of Biochemical Technology in 1989.

The Division of Biochemical Technology currently “Promotes the exchange of information among academic, industrial, and governmental researchers in life sciences and engineering to advance science and develop products and services to enhance quality of life”. Over the course of its existence, it has held a number of symposia and workshops. It also sponsors several awards, including the Marvin J. Johnson Award in Microbial and Biotechnical Technology and the James W. Van Lanen Distinguished Service Award. The division is also the sponsor of the David Perlman Memorial Lectureship series.

Sources

American Chemical Society Division of Biochemical Technology - History Website - http://www.acsbiot.org/index.php/history/ Browne, Charles Albert and Mary Elvira Weeks, A History of the American Chemical Society, Seventy-Five Eventful Years, Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, 1952. Records of the American Chemical Society Division of Biochemical Technology, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.