Niels Kaj Jerne
Encyclopedia
Niels Kaj Jerne, FRS (December 23, 1911 – October 7, 1994) was a Danish
immunologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
in 1984. The citation read "For theories concerning the specificity in development and control of the immune system and the discovery of the principle for production of monoclonal antibodies
". He shared the prize with Georges J. F. Köhler
and César Milstein
.
for centuries, but in 1910 his parents moved to London
where Jerne was born in 1911. During the First World War his parents moved to the Netherlands
and Jerne spent his youth in Rotterdam
. After studying physics for two years at the Leiden University
Jerne moved to Copenhagen and changed his studies to the field of medicine. He graduated from the University of Copenhagen
with a degree in medicine in 1947, and in 1951 he was awarded the doctorate for a thesis titled "A Study of Avidity Based on Rabbit Skin Responses to Diphteria Toxin-Antitoxin Mixtures".
and during this time he formulated a theory on antibody
formation. It is said that Jerne got his revolutionary scientific idea while bicycling across the Langebro
bridge in Copenhagen
on his way home from work.http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/10/1267 The antibody
formation theory gave Jerne international recognition and in 1956 Jerne went to work for the World Health Organization
in Geneva
, where he served as the Head of the Sections of Biological Standards and of Immunology
. He held this post for six years until moving to the United States
and the University of Pittsburgh
in 1962 to work as Professor of Microbiology
and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology
for four years. Jerne continued to do work for the World Health Organization
as a member of the Expert Advisory Panel of Immunology
from 1962 and onwards.
In 1966 Jerne moved back to Europe
and took up the position of Professor of Experimental Therapy at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt
. From 1966 to 1969 he was the Director of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut
, also in Frankfurt
. In 1969 Jerne again switched jobs, this time to Basel
in Switzerland
, where he was the Director of the Basel Institute for Immunology
until his retirement in 1980. During the 1970s and 1980s Jerne was a pioneer in the development of immune network theory
.
Memberships of Scientific societies:
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
immunologist. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Nobel 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...
in 1984. The citation read "For theories concerning the specificity in development and control of the immune system and the discovery of the principle for production of monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are monospecific antibodies that are the same because they are made by identical immune cells that are all clones of a unique parent cell....
". He shared the prize with Georges J. F. Köhler
Georges J. F. Köhler
-External links:* http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/1984/...
and César Milstein
César Milstein
César Milstein FRS was an Argentine biochemist in the field of antibody research. Milstein shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1984 with Niels K. Jerne and Georges Köhler.-Biography:...
.
Early years
His ancestors had lived on the small Danish island of FanøFanø
Fanø is a Danish island in the North Sea off the coast of southwestern Denmark, and is the very northernmost of the Danish Wadden Sea Islands...
for centuries, but in 1910 his parents moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where Jerne was born in 1911. During the First World War his parents moved to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Jerne spent his youth in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. After studying physics for two years at the Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
Jerne moved to Copenhagen and changed his studies to the field of medicine. He graduated from the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
with a degree in medicine in 1947, and in 1951 he was awarded the doctorate for a thesis titled "A Study of Avidity Based on Rabbit Skin Responses to Diphteria Toxin-Antitoxin Mixtures".
Research positions
From 1943 to 1956 Jerne was a research worker at the Danish National Serum InstituteStatens Serum Institut
Statens Serum Institut , or SSI for short, is a Danish sector research institute located on the island of Amager in Copenhagen. Its purpose is to combat and prevent infectious diseases, congenital disorders, and threats from weapon of mass destruction...
and during this time he formulated a theory on antibody
Antibody
An antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...
formation. It is said that Jerne got his revolutionary scientific idea while bicycling across the Langebro
Langebro
Langebro is a bascule bridge across the Inner Harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, connecting Zealand-side H. C. Andersens Boulevard to Amager-side Amager Boulevard...
bridge in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
on his way home from work.http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/291/10/1267 The antibody
Antibody
An antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...
formation theory gave Jerne international recognition and in 1956 Jerne went to work for the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, where he served as the Head of the Sections of Biological Standards and of Immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
. He held this post for six years until moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in 1962 to work as Professor of Microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is a medical school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The School of Medicine is also known as Pitt Med, and is ranked as a “top medical school” by U.S. News & World Report in the publication's categories of research and primary care...
for four years. Jerne continued to do work for the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
as a member of the Expert Advisory Panel of Immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
from 1962 and onwards.
In 1966 Jerne moved back to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and took up the position of Professor of Experimental Therapy at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. From 1966 to 1969 he was the Director of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut
Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (Germany)
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut is an institution of the Federal Republic of Germany and a medical regulatory body. The Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines reports to the Federal Ministry of Health ....
, also in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. In 1969 Jerne again switched jobs, this time to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he was the Director of the Basel Institute for Immunology
Basel Institute for Immunology
The Basel Institute for Immunology was founded in 1969 as a basic research institute in immunology located at 487 Grenzacherstrasse, Basel, Switzerland on the Rhine River down the street from the main Hoffmann-La Roche campus near the Swiss-German border. The institute opened its doors in 1971...
until his retirement in 1980. During the 1970s and 1980s Jerne was a pioneer in the development of immune network theory
Immune network theory
The immune network theory is a theory of how the adaptive immune system works, that has been developed since 1974 mainly by Niels Jerne and Geoffrey W. Hoffmann. The theory states that the immune system is an interacting network of lymphocytes and molecules that have variable regions...
.
Family life
Jerne was married three times. He had two sons, Ivar Jerne (born 1936) and Donald Jerne (born 1941), with Tjek Jerne. Jerne had a third son, Andreas Wettstein, with Gertrud Wettstein, in 1971.Honorary titles and memberships
Honorary doctorates:- University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(1972) - Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1978) - University of CopenhagenUniversity of CopenhagenThe University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
(1979) - University of BaselUniversity of BaselThe University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
(1981) - Erasmus University Rotterdam (1983)
Memberships of Scientific societies:
- Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
(1967) - Member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and LettersRoyal Danish Academy of Sciences and LettersRoyal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters is a Danish non-governmental science Academy, founded 13 November 1742 by permission of the King Christian VI, as a historical Collegium Antiquitatum...
(1969) - Foreign Associate of the National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(1975) - Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(1980) - Member of the Académie des Sciences (1981)
External links
- The Nobel Citation
- Biography from the Nobel Foundation. Video of an interviewed with Lewis WolpertLewis WolpertLewis Wolpert CBE FRS FRSL is a developmental biologist, author, and broadcaster.-Career:Wolpert was educated at the University of Witwatersrand , at Imperial College London, and at King's College London...
. Duration 37 minutes.