Professor Laurence Barron, Gardiner Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, joins the ranks of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking with the announcement on 26 May 2005 of his election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society. The new Fellows of the Royal Society are among the very best scientists in their fields which include seismology, mathematics, neuroscience and ecology.

The Royal Society has elected 44 new Fellows and six Foreign Members from the fields of science, engineering and technology. Fellows are elected for their contributions to science, both in fundamental research resulting in greater understanding, and also in leading and directing scientific and technological progress in industry and research establishments.

Professor Barron is distinguished for his work on the electric, magnetic and optical properties of molecules, including his widely adopted extension of Lord Kelvin's definition of chirality to include motion. The word 'chirality' was first introduced into science by Glasgow's Lord Kelvin in 1884. Its meaning applies across much of modern popular science, ranging from the physics of elementary particles, through organic stereochemistry and on to the large biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids which constitute life's molecular machinery.

A new phenomenon discovered by Prof Barron early in his career is Raman Optical Activity (ROA). ROA involves scattering of circularly polarized (divided) laser light in such a way that it is very sensitive to the 3D structures of chiral molecules. Thanks to the application of new technology in his laboratory with Glasgow chemistry colleague Dr Lutz Hecht, ROA can now be applied to the central molecules of life. This research could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and CJD.

Lord May of Oxford, President of the Royal Society, said: 'These new Fellows of the Royal Society are among the best scientists in the UK and Commonwealth. In being elected to the Fellowship they follow in the footsteps of the august scientists of the last three and a half centuries while, at the same time, representing cutting edge science in the UK today. Their collective achievements demonstrate that this country is a major player on the global stage in science.'

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The Royal Society is the independent scientific academy of the UK dedicated to promoting excellence in science. It plays an influential role in national and international science policy and supports developments in science engineering and technology in a wide range of ways.

First published: 1 June 2005