A CCB award for 2012 was made by the Division of the History of Chemistry to the �cole normale sup�rieure (ENS), a prestigious university-level institution in Paris where Pasteur discovered molecular chirality in 1848. The award requires choosing the most relevant publication by the discoverer, and in Pasteur's case three articles were contenders: his brief first announcement of the discovery in May 1848 to the French Academy of Sciences; his full paper on the work, also published in 1848; and the 1861 publication of his famous two lectures to the Chemical Society of Paris in 1860 on the discovery. The choice was difficult since each of the three publications has unique elements and strengths. Thus, the May 1848 article had the merit of being first; it is concise and not burdened with specialized experimental and theoretical details and was therefore widely comprehensible. The full paper in 1848 on the other hand had the merit of providing the scientific and experimental details needed for the full description and appreciation of the discovery. The lectures of 1860 stand as a sweeping and grand narrative of the discovery, including its background and its broader implications for chemistry and biology. Taking all of these considerations into account, the decision was reached that Pasteur's May 1848 paper best meets the CCB criteria for the winning publication. It was a stunning first and succinct announcement of a hitherto-unheard-of but clearly vital phenomenon with far-reaching implications. The award ceremony was held at the ENS in October 2013.

Citation for Chemical Breakthrough (CCB) awards, 2012: Choosing Louis Pasteur's award-winning publication

248th National Meeting (2014)

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