Cram, Donald James (1919-2001)

US chemist who shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1987 with Jean-Marie Lehn and Charles J Pedersen for their work on molecules with highly selective structure-specific interactions. The work has importance in the synthesis of organic compounds, analytic chemistry, and biochemistry.

Cram designed and produced complex ‘host’ molecules that could selectively recognize and bind with other ‘guest’ molecules and ions. The molecular recognition occurs because the structure or shape of the host molecule matches that of the guest molecule. Suitable host molecules can be used to catalyse (trigger) various types of chemical reactions or to transport ions through biological barriers, such as cell membranes.

Cram was born at Chester, Vermont, USA, and educated at Rollins College, Florida, and the University of Nebraska, Canada. During World War II, he worked for Merck and Company on penicillin. In 1945, he went to Harvard University, obtaining his doctorate in 1947. After three months with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he joined the University of California at Los Angeles. He was appointed professor of chemistry in 1956.