Don Craig Wiley
Encyclopedia
Don Craig Wiley was an American microbiologist
.
Wiley was world-renowned for finding new ways to help the human immune system battle such viral scourges as smallpox, influenza, AIDS, Ebola, and herpes simplex. His research was honored with the 1993 Cancer Research Institute William B. Coley Award
. Harvard called Wiley "one of the most influential biologists of his generation." In 1999, Wiley and another Harvard professor, Dr. Jack Strominger, won the Japan Prize
for their discoveries of how the immune system protects humans from infections.
Wiley received his doctoral degree in biophysics in 1971 from Harvard University
where he worked under direction of subsequent 1976 chemistry Nobel Prize
winner William N. Lipscomb, Jr.
There, Wiley did early work on the structure of aspartate carbamoyltransferase
,
the largest molecular structure determined at that time.
Noteworthy in this effort is that Wiley managed to grow crystals of aspartate carbamoyltransferase suitable for doing its x-ray structure, a particularly difficult task in the case of this molecular complex.
Famous quote: "I'm sorry, but I just don't understand anything in biology unless I know what it looks like."
Wiley owned a British racing green
-colored Aston Martin
.
Don Wiley disappeared on November 15, 2001; his body was found in the Mississippi River
a month later and his death was ruled to be an accident.
Microbiologist
A microbiologist is a scientist who works in the field of microbiology. Microbiologists study organisms called microbes. Microbes can take the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists...
.
Wiley was world-renowned for finding new ways to help the human immune system battle such viral scourges as smallpox, influenza, AIDS, Ebola, and herpes simplex. His research was honored with the 1993 Cancer Research Institute William B. Coley Award
William B. Coley Award
The William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology is presented annually by the Cancer Research Institute, Inc., to scientists who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of basic and tumor immunology and whose work has deepened our understanding of the...
. Harvard called Wiley "one of the most influential biologists of his generation." In 1999, Wiley and another Harvard professor, Dr. Jack Strominger, won the Japan Prize
Japan Prize
is awarded to people from all parts of the world whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind."- Explanation :...
for their discoveries of how the immune system protects humans from infections.
Wiley received his doctoral degree in biophysics in 1971 from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
where he worked under direction of subsequent 1976 chemistry Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
winner William N. Lipscomb, Jr.
William Lipscomb
William Nunn Lipscomb, Jr. was a Nobel Prize-winning American inorganic and organic chemist working in nuclear magnetic resonance, theoretical chemistry, boron chemistry, and biochemistry.-Overview:...
There, Wiley did early work on the structure of aspartate carbamoyltransferase
Aspartate carbamoyltransferase
Aspartate carbamoyltransferase catalyzes the first step in the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway .In E. coli, the enzyme is a multi-subunit protein complex composed of 12 subunits...
,
the largest molecular structure determined at that time.
Noteworthy in this effort is that Wiley managed to grow crystals of aspartate carbamoyltransferase suitable for doing its x-ray structure, a particularly difficult task in the case of this molecular complex.
Famous quote: "I'm sorry, but I just don't understand anything in biology unless I know what it looks like."
Wiley owned a British racing green
British racing green
British racing green or BRG, a colour similar to Brunswick green, hunter green, forest green or moss green , takes its name from the green international motor racing colour of Britain. Although there is still some debate as to an exact hue for BRG, currently the term is used to denote a spectrum of...
-colored Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
.
Don Wiley disappeared on November 15, 2001; his body was found in the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
a month later and his death was ruled to be an accident.