Biochemistry alumnus Daniel Klessig ’71 grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm. There, 18-hour workdays prepared him for the effort it would take to excel in school despite his dyslexia. Those arduous years also played a part in his desire to leave the farm and follow in his brother’s footsteps as a biochemistry-focused Badger.
“One of the reasons I became so excited about molecular biology as an undergraduate at UW–Madison is that it gave one the ability to alter genes and thus figure out what the encoded proteins do,” says Klessig. “Now, with cryo-EM, you can actually see where and how those proteins fit in a large biological structure.”
Klessig, a professor emeritus at Cornell University, has focused his philanthropy on the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center (CEMRC), which was launched in 2021. Cryo-EM microscopes allow researchers at CEMRC to view minuscule particles by freezing them at subzero temperatures so they retain their natural shapes and structures for high-resolution imaging.
In addition to Klessig’s generous contributions, funding for this $17.5 million project poured in from areas across campus, including the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Morgridge Institute of Research, School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Biochemistry, and more. Through this support, the CEMRC has facilitated great strides in understanding the virus that causes COVID-19.
Tim Grant, an investigator with the Morgridge Institute for Research and assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, is equally enthusiastic about cryo-EM advancement at the UW. “A lot of people are going to be drawn here because of the facility and national hub,” he says. “It will be a focal point — a great place to meet people and share ideas.”