UCLA led the nation in the number of scientists elected to the American Academy of Microbiology, with five of the 51 newly elected fellows. The University of Pennsylvania was second with three.

Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology are elected annually through a peer?reviewed process, based on scientific achievements and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.

"Membership in the Academy of Microbiology represents major scientific accomplishment and achievement in the field of microbiology, broadly defined," said Emil Reisler, dean of life sciences in the UCLA College. "I am delighted that UCLA microbiologists led the country in this honor, which recognizes outstanding research accomplishments."

UCLA's new fellows are:

• John E. Edwards Jr., chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and a professor-in-residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He was cited for "outstanding contributions to the field of fungal pathogenesis." He has trained more than 130 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
• Robert P. Gunsalus, professor of microbiology and molecular genetics. He "provided the first molecular structures for a bacterial response regulatory and a molybdenum-binding protein, and has made significant contributions to the physiology of methane-producing bacteria."
• Reid C. Johnson, professor of biological chemistry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is a "leader in the fields of site-specific recombination and DNA architectural proteins." He uses a combination of genetic, molecular, biochemical and structural approaches to probe nucleoprotein assemblies and to define the roles of architectural proteins in regulating DNA transactions.
• James A. Lake, distinguished professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology and human genetics. His "pioneering work has led to fundamental discoveries concerning protein synthesis and the evolution of life. He produced a landmark structure fo the prokaryotic ribosome, now fully validated by X-ray crystallography."
• Hannah M. Wexler, director of the Wadsworth Anaerobe Laboratory, Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System, and adjunct professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She was "one of the first microbiologists to bring to public awareness the problems inherent in the susceptibility testing of anaerobes."