Hans Neurath
Encyclopedia
Hans Neurath was a biochemist
, a leader in protein
chemistry and the founding chairman of the Department of Biochemistry
at the University of Washington
in Seattle.
. He then studied in London and at the University of Minnesota
.
In 1938, Neurath was appointed professor at Duke University
, where he established a research program on the physical chemistry of proteins.
. His research focused mainly on the protease
s, (proteins that act as enzyme
s cleaving other proteins).
-- Edwin G. Krebs
and Edmond H. Fischer
who stayed in Seattle and Martin Rodbell
who earned his PhD in the department and went on to a distinguished career at the NIH.
Neurath was also part-time scientific director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
in Seattle.
He died at the age of 92 on April 12, 2002 in Seattle.
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
, a leader in protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
chemistry and the founding chairman of the Department of Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle.
Early life
Hans Neurath was born in Vienna, Austria and received his doctorate in 1933 from the University of ViennaUniversity of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. He then studied in London and at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
.
In 1938, Neurath was appointed professor at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, where he established a research program on the physical chemistry of proteins.
Scientific research
Neurath had wide-ranging interests in the physical chemistry of proteins. He published seminal papers on protein structure and denaturation and debunked early models of protein structures, notably those of William AstburyWilliam Astbury
William Thomas Astbury FRS was an English physicist and molecular biologist who made pioneering X-ray diffraction studies of biological molecules. His work on keratin provided the foundation for Linus Pauling's discovery of the alpha helix...
. His research focused mainly on the protease
Protease
A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein....
s, (proteins that act as enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
s cleaving other proteins).
Writing and editing
Neurath wrote more than 400 papers. He founded two journals of protein science: Biochemistry, which he edited from 1961 to 1991; and Protein Science, which he edited from 1991 to 1998. Neurath also edited three volumes of "The Proteins," a reference work.Work in Seattle
Hans Neurath founded the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington, Seattle, and served as its chair from 1950 to 1975, when he retired. Neurath's department produced three winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
-- Edwin G. Krebs
Edwin G. Krebs
-External links:*Hughes, R. 1998. *Krebs, E.G. * *...
and Edmond H. Fischer
Edmond H. Fischer
Edmond H. Fischer is a Swiss American biochemist. He and his collaborator Edwin G. Krebs were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1992 for describing how reversible phosphorylation works as a switch to activate proteins and regulate various cellular processes.-Early life:Fischer...
who stayed in Seattle and Martin Rodbell
Martin Rodbell
Martin Rodbell was an American biochemist and molecular endocrinologist who is best known for his discovery of G-proteins. He shared the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Alfred G...
who earned his PhD in the department and went on to a distinguished career at the NIH.
Neurath was also part-time scientific director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, is one of the world’s leading cancer research institutes...
in Seattle.
Personal life
Neurath was married to Susi Spitzer Neurath for 41 years. He had a son, Peter F. Neurath, from an earlier marriage, as well as two stepchildren, Margaret Albrecht and Frank Meyer, and three step-grandchildren.He died at the age of 92 on April 12, 2002 in Seattle.