Joseph Fox, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Delaware, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. 

He is among 162 academic inventors named to the 2023 Class of Fellows, the NAI announced on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

Selection for NAI fellow status is the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to academic inventors. It is reserved for individuals who demonstrate “a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.” 

This prestigious honor recognizes Fox — the University’s 2023 Francis Alison Award winner — among a highly select group of individuals, including Nobel laureates, members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and/or the U.S. National Medal of Science.

A professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UD, Fox is a world-class scientist whose research and inventions sit at the intersection of chemistry and biology, specifically, in bioorthogonal chemistry, where they have the potential to impact human health through diagnostic and therapeutic applications. 

Fox’s research focuses on developing new organic reactions, including catalytic methods for activating chemistry in cells and other living organisms, for applications in biology, drug discovery, radiochemistry, imaging, therapy and materials science. 

In nominating Fox for the award, John Pelesko, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at UD, pointed to the commercial significance of his patented discoveries.

“Professor Fox is listed as an inventor on six issued patents with two patents pending. Of particular commercial importance are his patents in the development of bio-orthogonal and in vivo chemistry, which are emerging as major technologies for medicine, biological imaging and biotechnology,” Pelesko wrote. “His patents cover the invention of tetrazine ligation — the fastest known bio-orthogonal reaction and the only bio-orthogonal reaction to be used in the clinic.”

Developed in 2007, tetrazine ligation produces fast, selective chemical reactions in biological environments, such as cells. The reaction can be used in all kinds of research that involves connecting molecules, adding tags for imaging of cells, drug discovery, targeted drug delivery, diagnostics, microscopy, engineering and materials science. This reaction was cited as an essential element of the work celebrated in the 2022 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry. 

Julius Korley, associate vice president of UD’s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships, called Fox’s work “foundational.”

“His work is helping to guide the field and drive others toward new ideas,” Korley said.

For example, four of Fox’s patents have been licensed to multiple early-stage and established companies. One of these patents is licensed to a global leader in medical technology, where it enables the manufacture of a line of antibody-based research and diagnostic products. Other patents are licensed for research purposes, particularly those relating to the fields of proteomics, cancer diagnostics and drug delivery.

At UD, Fox is considered an inspirational and valued mentor, instilling in his students and postdoctoral fellows “a sense of purpose that has led many of them to careers in industry or as entrepreneurs,” according to Michael Blaustein, OEIP director of commercialization strategy.

In total, Fox has guided 29 graduate students and co-advised four students to the completion of their Ph.D. degrees and mentored over 40 undergraduates in research. As principal investigator and director of the NIH-funded Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Discovery of Chemical Probes and Therapeutic Leads, he also has mentored numerous UD early-career faculty who have gone on to productive careers and leadership positions.

A highly cited researcher, Fox has authored more than 100 scientific journal articles that have garnered over 10,000 citations. Among his career honors, Fox is a recipient of the Arthur Cope Scholar Award from the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Delaware Bioscience Association Award for Academic Research, the American Chemical Society Delaware Section Award and the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry Academic Young Investigator Award. At UD, he has been recognized with the University of Delaware Outstanding Graduate Advising and Mentoring Award, the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Scholarship Award, and the aforementioned Francis Alison Award, the University’s highest faculty honor.

A strong history of invention at UD

Worldwide, there are now nearly 1,900 NAI Fellows from more than 300 universities, government and nonprofit research institutes. Collectively, these innovators are named inventors on 63,000 issued U.S. patents for discoveries that have resulted in over $3 trillion in revenue.

Fox is the 14th University of Delaware innovator selected for membership in the National Academy of Inventors since 2012. He joins a strong and growing contingent of UD inventors who have achieved this distinction, including Gonzalo Arce, Charles Black Evans Professor of Electrical Engineering (2022); Kelvin Lee, interim vice president of Research, sScholarship and iInnovation and Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Thomas Epps, Allan and Myra Ferguson Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, with a joint appointment in Materials Science and Engineering (2021), Eleftherios “Terry” Papoutsakis, Unidel Eugene du Pont Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (2020); Kristi Kiick, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering (2019); Yushan Yan, Henry Belin du Pont Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the Center for Clean Hydrogen at UD (2018); Dennis Prather, Engineering Alumni Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (2017); the late Richard Heck, a Nobel laureate and Willis F. Harrington Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, and Norm Wagner, Unidel Robert L. Pigford Chair in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (2015); the late Babatunde Ogunnaike, William L. Friend Chair of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (2014); John Elias, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Wayne Westerman, who earned a doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering at UD (2013); and former UD President Patrick Harker (2012).