Technology

Emmett Chappelle was born in October 25, 1925 in Phoenix Arizona. He conducted his undergraduate studies in the University of California, Berkeley where he graduated in 1950 with a degree in biochemistry. His academic journey did not end here for he earned an M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington in 1954 after his four years at Meharry Medical College in Nahville, Tennessee where he was serving in the position of a biochemistry instructor. For four years (1955-1958), Chappelle worked at the Stanford University as a research associate. His interest in biochemistry grew even further after he joined the Institute of Advanced Studies at Stanford University where he served for five years as from 1958 to 1963. None of his years seemed to go without being involved in research for from 1963 to 1966 he was a biochemist at the Hazelton Laboratories before taking the position of exobiologist followed by that of an astrochemist.

Chappelles entry into NASA came in 1966 at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to give a hand in manned space flight project. Chappelle is well known for his pioneering work in food and water biochemistry after his discovery of the ingredients that are present in all cellular materials. This was the basis for his development of the techniques currently used in analysis of bacteria in foods, water, urine, cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Never allowing technology to leave him behind, Chappelle switched his research into laser technology by developing the Laser-Induced Fluorescence for remote sensing of vegetation health in 1977 at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.

Chappelle retired from NASA in 2001 but he is a member to various chemistry societies such as the American Chemical Society, American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular biology among several microbiology societies.