Leland Clark
Encyclopedia
Leland C. Clark Jr. was an American biochemist born in Rochester, New York. He is most well known as the inventor of the Clark electrode
Clark electrode
The Clark electrode is an electrode that measures oxygen on a catalytic platinum surface using the net reaction:- History :Leland Clark had developed the first bubble oxygenator for use in cardiac surgery...

, a device used for measuring oxygen in blood, water and other liquids. Clark is considered the "Father of Biosensor
Biosensor
A biosensor is an analytical device for the detection of an analyte that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector component.It consists of 3 parts:* the sensitive biological element A biosensor is an analytical device for the detection of an analyte that combines a biological...

s", and the modern-day glucose sensor used daily by millions of diabetics is based on his research. He conducted pioneering research on heart-lung machines in the 1940s and '50s and was holder of more than 25 patents. Although he developed a fluorocarbon-based liquid that could be breathed successfully by mice in place of air, his lifelong goal of developing artificial blood remained unfulfilled at the time of his death. He is the inventor of Oxycyte
Oxycyte
Oxycyte is a third-generation perfluorocarbon therapeutic oxygen carrier invented by Leland Clark and developed by Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc....

, a third-generation perfluorocarbon (PFC) therapeutic oxygen carrier designed to enhance oxygen delivery to damaged tissues.

Professional life

Clark received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...

 in 1941 and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Physiology from the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...

 in 1944. Clark began his professional career as an Assistant Professor of biochemistry at his alma mater, Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, Ohio. When he left Antioch in 1958, he was head of the department. From 1955 to 1958, he held a simultaneous appointment the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine as a Senior Research Associate in Pediatrics and Surgery. In 1958, Clark moved to Alabama to join the Department of Surgery, University of Alabama Medical College as an associate professor of biochemistry. He later became professor of biochemistry in the same department. Clark became professor of research pediatrics at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Foundation in 1968 and remained there until he retired in 1991. Afterwards, he helped to found the company Synthetic Blood International, now known as Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc., which markets his invention Oxycyte
Oxycyte
Oxycyte is a third-generation perfluorocarbon therapeutic oxygen carrier invented by Leland Clark and developed by Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc....

.

Other Clark inventions were put into production and marketed by Yellow Springs Instrument Company.

He was a founding member of the Editorial Board of the scientific journal Biosensors & Bioelectronics in 1985.

Personal life

Clark was known as "Lee" to his friends. He met Eleanor Wyckoff while an undergraduate student at Antioch and they were married in 1939. She assisted him in his research throughout his career. They had four daughters.

Honors and awards

Dr. Clark received the following recognition for his work: National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...

 Fellowship (1941).
NIH Research Career Award (1962).
Distinguished Lecturer Award, American College of Chest Physicians
American College of Chest Physicians
The American College of Chest Physicians is a medical organization in the United States consisting of physicians and non-physician specialists in the field of chest medicine, which includes pulmonology, thoracic surgery, and critical care medicine....

 (1975).
Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (1984).
Horace Mann Award for Service to Humanity, Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...

 (1984).
Heyrovsky Award in Recognition of the Invention of the Membrane-Covered Polarographic Oxygen Electrode (1985).
American Association for Clinical Chemistry
American Association for Clinical Chemistry
The American Association for Clinical Chemistry is an international society, founded in 1948, of clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists and others who are involved in clinical chemistry and clinical laboratory science. Current President is Barbara M. Goldsmith, PhD, and...

 Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry (1989).
American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...

 Samuel Kaplan Visionary Award (1991).
Enshrinement into the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame (1991).
Pharmacia Biosensor’s Sensational Contributions to the Advancement of Biosensor Technology Award (1992).
Daniel Drake Award for Outstanding Achievements in Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (1993).
Elected to the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...

 (1995).
National Academy of Engineering Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize
Russ Prize
The Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize is an American national and international award established by the United States National Academy of Engineering in October 1999 in Athens, Ohio...

 (2005).

Selected publications

  • Clark, L.C., Wolf, R., Granger, D., Taylor, Z. (1953). Continuous recording of blood oxygen tensions by polarography. Journal of Applied Physiology, 6: 189-193.
  • Clark, L.C., Gollan, F. (1966). Survival of mammals breathing organic liquids equilibrated with oxygen at atmospheric pressure. Science, 152:1755–1756.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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