Triple and double celebrities

The school of life sciences' series of named lectures has attracted a number of internationally renowned scientists to the University over the past few weeks - and contributed to the appearance of two Nobel prize winners on campus on the same day in what Vice Chancellor Sir Alan Langlands described as "a superb example of science and serendipity".

Arthur Kornberg, winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize for his discovery of the enzymes which make DNA, delivered the Peter Garland Lecture to a packed theatre of scientists including Chancellor Sir James Black who, the following day, gave the keynote speech at the national biotechnology conference in Dundee. Professor of biochemistry at the University of Stanford California, Arthur Kornberg built up the best biochemistry department in the USA on the back of his discovery.

Professor Lucy Shapiro of Stanford University school of medicine, California, gave the annual Adam Neville lecture to honour the former Principal of the University of Dundee who championed life sciences as the key to the University's future.

One of the world's leading microbiologists, Professor Shapiro was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences in 1994. She is currently chairman of the department of developmental biology and director of the new Beckman center for molecular and genetic medicine at Stanford.

The Bridget Ogilvie lecture, honouring the role played by the former director of the Wellcome Trust, was given by Professor Robert Tjian of the University of California at Berkeley who discovered the first human transcription factor and whose work has been important for drug discovery.

Later this year the University expects a unique triple billing when the UK's top three cited scientists will be together at one of the graduation ceremonies. Most cited scientist, Professor Salvador Moncada of UCL's Institute for Biomedical Research will join numbers two and three - the University's own Professor Sir David Lane and Professor Sir Philip Cohen - at a ceremony at which Professor Moncada will be made an honorary graduate of Dundee. Left to right Sir Philip Cohen, Arthur Kornberg and Peter Garland.

Mixing Kornbergs In the April issue of Contact an item on the Peter Garland lecture to be delivered by Nobel Prizewinner and distinguished biochemist Arthur Kornberg was accompanied by a picture of another Kornberg entirely - distinguished biochemist Professor Sir Hans Kornberg. Our apologies for this error and any embarrassment caused.

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