The Separations and Purification GRC is fragmented into specialties such as distillation, extraction, absorption, ion exchange, chromatography, and crystallization. The GRC helped bring the experts in these different areas together where we could learn from each other and cross pollinate.
- Philip C. Wankat
For me, science took on a whole new dimension at my first GRC, which was on Electron Donor Acceptor Interactions. I felt I was finally a full-fledged member of the scientific community. It really was both a rite of passage and an eye-opener to the power of scientific thought and the scientific community.
- Chris Chidsey
At the morning coffee break during the Isotopes in Biological and Chemical Sciences Gordon Conference in 1998, 80 percent of the participants did not return. It turns out they were filming a "Baywatch" episode across the street on the beach at Ventura.
- John S. Blanchard
The first high resolution X-ray structures of membrane-bound proteins were presented at the Bioenergetics Gordon Conference, which was important in stimulating research in the area. It was able to focus the science on electron and proton transport systems which enabled many important breakthroughs in this area.
- Gary Cecchini
While taking a canoe trip, Mike Fritze from MIT/Lincoln Labs swung from a rope at a swimming hole and gave a Tarzan-like scream before plunging into somewhat shallow water. Fortunately, Mike was not injured and had a superb sense of humor about the incident. Classic!
- Gregory Cardinale
In 1993, big, loveable Jonathan Fracter from NIST walked right through a plate glass window at Colby- Sawyer College. It was not funny at the time, of course, but it has been discussed anecdotally ever since - especially the speed with which the college put stickers of owls on the other windows.
- George R. Pilcher