Thermodynamic studies of
enzyme-catalyzed reactions

Robert N. Goldberg / NIST, Gaithersburg, USA

February 17, 2021, 3 - 4 pm CET

Online live talk

Robert N. Goldberg

Robert N. Goldberg received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry (advisor: Professor Loren G. Hepler) for thermodynamic studies on heavy water and inorganic thermochemistry. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship (advisor: Professor Henry S. Frank) which involved computer simulations of liquid junction potentials aimed at the determination of single-ion activities. In 1969, he joined the thermochemistry section of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST was then the National Bureau of Standards). While at NIST, he has done extensive research on a variety of topics which include calorimetry, thermodynamics of electrolyte and non‑electrolyte solutions, the evaluation of physical and chemical property data, kinetic modeling and irreversible thermodynamics, equilibrium measurements; chromatography, data evaluation and databases, solubilities and enthalpies of solution, heat-capacity measurements, density measurements, vapor-liquid equilibria and vapor pressure measurements, and biochemical thermodynamics. The latter topic has been the major focus of his research. This effort has resulted in the determination of the thermodynamic properties for a large number of enzyme-catalyzed reactions, including some of the most important reactions pertinent to biochemistry and physiology as well as reactions that are of major industrial interest.

At NIST, Dr. Goldberg also served as group leader for Bioprocess Engineering and as Acting Chief of the Biochemical Science Division. He was also a titular member of the IUPAC Chemical Thermodynamics Commission and vice-chair of the Commission on Biophysical Chemistry. He has also served as chair of ASTM’s committee on biofuels and on Department of Energy advisory panels.