Dear Richard,

This is very sad news. Jakob was of immense help to me in the old days. He
used to send me print-outs and later, floppy disks with complete sets of
references to CSM publications. He was low-key and unassuming, always with
a smile.

My condolences to his family.

Vidya

> A Message to The Dictyostelium Community:
>
> It is with deep regret that we share the news of the unexpected passing of
> Jakob Franke on Thursday, November 10, 2016, in Northvale, NJ.
>
> An exemplary devotee in the field, Jakob worked on Dictyostelium for
> nearly forty years, first with Maurice Sussman at Brandeis, and from 1974
> to 2008 with Richard Kessin at Harvard and Columbia. Jakob made seminal
> contributions to the field: he was responsible for some of the first
> studies on induced protein synthesis. He also developed a minimal medium,
> FM, for the growth of Dictyostelium amoebae, advancing the genetic
> analysis of this organism. He purified the cAMP phosphodiesterase and its
> inhibitor, which led to the cloning of both genes. Jakob created a
> complete reference bibliography of the Dictyostelium literature and
> started the Dictyostelium Stock Center, now housed at Northwestern
> University.
>
> Originally from The Netherlands, or more exactly Friesland, he made his
> home in the U.S. with his wife Gely and daughters, Dr. Ettaly Jobes and
> Dr. Arva Rogers.
>
> Jakob's dedication and influence extends to numerous technicians,
> students, and post-doctoral fellows. Their reminiscences and tributes will
> appear at a later date.
>
> Richard Kessin
> Box 463
> Norfolk, CT 06058
> [log in to unmask]
> 860 542 3950
>
> Stefan Pukatzki
> University of Colorado School of Medicine
> Aurora, CO 80045
> [log in to unmask]
> (608) 886-1848
>
> --
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