George Barany

Biography

George Barany was born in Hungary in 1955 and emigrated with his family to the USA in 1960. Barany attended the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in New York City, and then, in 1971, started his graduate studies with Professor R.B. Merrifield at The Rockefeller University. He published his first paper in 1973 on the synthesis of an ATP-binding peptide. Barany received his Ph.D. in 1977 for the development of the Dts protecting group, and began his independent academic career at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus in 1980. He reached the rank of full Professor of Chemistry in 1991, and a joint appointment as Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology took effect in 1996. Barany was named a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 1997, a position he held until achieving Professor Emeritus status in 2024.  

Professor Barany's research interests involve peptide synthesis (particularly the solid-phase method), protecting groups for organic functionalities (with an emphasis of the concept of orthogonality), the chemistry of thiols, disulfides, and polysulfanes, functionalization of soluble and insoluble polymers, and mass spectrometry. His research, described in over 390 scientific publications, has covered areas ranging from the chemical synthesis of garlic constituents to studies on the mechanisms of protein folding to methods for chemical combinatorial libraries to advances in the preparation of anti-sense DNA and RNA to the development of DNA and PNA arrays for the multiplex detection of genetic diseases. Through the course of his career, Barany authored a number of seminal review articles on various aspects of the peptide field.

Professor Barany served a six-year term on the Council of the American Peptide Society and was co-Chair (along with Gregg Fields) of the Sixteenth American Peptide Symposium, held in Minneapolis June 26-July 1, 1999. The (non-scientific) highlight of this meeting was Peptide Ångst: La Triviata, the first-ever opera about peptides (co-authored with Gary Gisselman). Professor Barany was listed among "America's 100 Brightest Scientists under 40" by Science Digest in 1984, and he was honored by the 1994 Vincent du Vigneaud Award for outstanding achievements in peptide research, the 2006 Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry from the American Chemical Society [click here or here for a biographical vignette], and the 2015 Murray Goodman Scientific Excellence & Mentorship Award from the American Peptide Society. Other honors include his selection as a Searle Scholar in 1982 and a USPHS Research Career Development Award from 1982-87. Most recently, in 2020, Barany was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors [click here for a news article about his election].

With Dr. Barbara Goldenberg Barany, Professor Barany has two children, Michael and Deborah, who are both pursuing academic careers. Professor Barany's parents, Michael and Kate, both passed away (6 weeks apart) in 2011 after distinguished international academic careers and almost 62 years of marriage. Professor Barany's brother, Francis, is a Professor of Microbiology at the Sanford Weill College of Medicine of Cornell University, and indeed, the brothers have published a paper together. A highlight of Professor Barany's career is a paper first-authored by his son Michael, and co-authored by his mentor R.B. Merrifield and his former student Bob Hammer. This project also earned Michael finalist status in the 2005 Intel Science Talent Search, and designation as a KARE 11 Academic All-Star.

On the occasion of a momentous anniversary in music history, Professor Barany collaborated with Michael Shteyman on a New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle which was published January 22, 2006, and which received some attention in the University and local press. Additional noteworthy Barany puzzles include "A Cryptic Tribute" for the Chronicle of Higher Education, the invited "C&EN-tennial playlist", and a megapuzzle with Christopher Adams called "Fair Game" for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In all, Professor Barany has co-written several hundred puzzles, many of which are compiled here [look for a reboot of those pages sometime in the Summer of 2024].

A Symposium in honor of Professor George Barany, "A Half Century of Solving Puzzles in Peptide and Sulfur Science", will be held in Chicago, Illinois on June 8, 2024. In addition, the International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics is planning a special issue entitled "Celebrating Professor George Barany's Half Century in Science".

Some Interesting Links about Professor Emeritus Barany

"A Prodigy Grows Up" (PDF)
Profile of Professor Barany, by Steve Kaplan, published in June 1985 Mpls. St. Paul magazine

"Professor's Work is a Family Affair" (PDF)
Minnesota Daily article about Professor Barany (February 25, 1997): "Like in his life, humor, science and family mesh on Barany's office door. Balancing family, research and teaching can be tough, but colleagues say Barany is a model of that balance."

"George Barany's "Sermon"
April 20, 2012 at Mt. Zion Temple, Saint Paul, Minnesota. Reflections on the legacies of my parents, who were both Holocaust survivors, less than a year after they both passed away.

U of M Internet Welcome Kit, Interviews with Professor Barany
Does your research connect with other disciplines?
How do you interact with the students you advise?
What are your students who have graduated doing?

"The First 50 Years" (PDF)
A poem by some of Prof. Barany's colleagues in honor of his 50th Birthday (February 19, 2005).

"Barany Thespians 2005 Edition. 'Are you in the Mood for Chemistry?' Skit"
This 10-minute production from Professor Barany's Fall 2005 class demonstrates the role catalysts play in stereochemistry and regiochemistry, with a reference to 1930's swing music. Before viewing the YouTube video, you maywant to read the synopsis that will allow you to follow along (and learn the names of the creative students who wrote and performed this skit).
Study Guide Associated with the 2005 Skit (PDF)

"Barany Thespians 2004 Edition. 'Organic Chemistry Reaction Network' Skit"
This 9-minute production from Professor Barany's Fall 2004 class was performed on Wednesday, October 20, 2004, and demonstratesthe stereochemistry and regiochemistry of SN2, E2, SN1, E1, and rearrangementreactions. Before viewing the YouTube video, you maywant to read the synopsis that will allow you to follow along (and learn the names of the creative students who wrote and performed this skit).
Synopsis of the 2004 Skit (PDF)

"Halloween 2003 Skit to Demonstrate SN2 Stereochemistry and E2 Regiochemistry"
This 7-minute production from Professor Barany's Fall 2003 class was performed on Halloween 2003. Apologies for the awkward camera angles and uneven sound quality. Before viewing the YouTube video, you may want to click below and print out a synopsis that will allow you to follow along (and learn the names of the creative students who wrote and performed this skit).
Synopsis of the 2003 Skit (PDF)