Osamu Shimomura
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
organic chemist and marine biologist, and Professor Emeritus at Marine Biological Laboratory
(MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts
and Boston University Medical School. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
in 2008 for the discovery and development of green fluorescent protein
(GFP) with two American scientists: Martin Chalfie
of Columbia University and Roger Tsien
of the University of California-San Diego.
in 1928, Shimomura was brought up in Manchukuo
(Manchuria
, China) and Osaka, Japan while his father served as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army
. Later, his family moved to Isahaya, Nagasaki
, 15 miles from the epicenter of the August 1945 atomic bombing of the city. He recalls hearing, as a 16-year-old boy, the bomber plane before the atom bomb exploded. The explosion flash blinded Shimomura for about thirty seconds, and he was later drenched by the "black rain" bomb fallout. He overcame great odds in the following 11 years to earn an education and achieve academic success.
Shimomura's educational opportunities were starkly limited in devastated, post-war Japan. Although he later recalled having no interest in the subject, he enrolled in the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Nagasaki Medical College (now Nagasaki University
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences). The Medical College campus had been entirely destroyed by the atomic bomb blast, forcing the pharmacy school to relocate to a temporary campus near Shimomura's home. This proximity was the fortuitous reason he embarked upon the studies and career which would ultimately lead to unanticipated rewards. Shimomura was awarded a BS
degree in pharmacy in 1951, and he stayed on as a lab assistant through 1955.
Shimomura's mentor at Nagasaki helped him find employment as an assistant to Professor Yoshimasa Hirata at Nagoya University
in 1956. While working for Professor Hirata, he received a MS
degree in organic chemistry in 1958 and, before leaving Japan for an appointment at Princeton University, a Ph.D.
in organic chemistry in 1960 at Nagoya University
. At Nagoya, Hirata assigned Shimomura the challenging task of determining what made the crushed remains of a type of crustacean
(Jp. umi-hotaru, lit. "sea-firefly", Vargula hilgendorfii
) glow when moistened with water. This assignment led Shimomura to the successful identification of the protein causing the phenomenon, and he published the preliminary findings in the Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan
in a paper entitled Crystalline Cypridina luciferin. The article caught the attention of Professor Frank Johnson at Princeton University
, and Johnson successfully recruited Shimomura to work with him in 1960.
for Professor Johnson to study jellyfish Aequorea victoria
, which they collected during many summers at the Friday Harbor Laboratories of the University of Washington.
In 1962, their work culminated in the discovery of the proteins aequorin
and green fluorescent protein
(GFP) in the small, mouse-sized umbrella-shaped glowing jellyfish Aequorea victoria; for this work, he was awarded a third of the Nobel prize in Chemistry in 2008.
, is also an organic chemist and a partner in his research activities. Their son, Tsutomu Shimomura
, is a computer security expert who was involved in the arrest of Kevin Mitnick
. Their daughter, Sachi Shimomura, is Director of Undergraduate Studies for the English Department at Virginia Commonwealth University
and the author of Odd Bodies and Visible Ends in Medieval Literature
.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
organic chemist and marine biologist, and Professor Emeritus at Marine Biological Laboratory
Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory is an international center for research and education in biology, biomedicine and ecology. Founded in 1888, the MBL is the oldest independent marine laboratory in the Americas, taking advantage of a coastal setting in the Cape Cod village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts...
(MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands...
and Boston University Medical School. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
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,...
in 2008 for the discovery and development of green fluorescent protein
Green fluorescent protein
The green fluorescent protein is a protein composed of 238 amino acid residues that exhibits bright green fluorescence when exposed to blue light. Although many other marine organisms have similar green fluorescent proteins, GFP traditionally refers to the protein first isolated from the...
(GFP) with two American scientists: Martin Chalfie
Martin Chalfie
Martin Chalfie is an American scientist. He is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, where he is also chair of the department of biological sciences. He shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Osamu Shimomura and Roger Y. Tsien "for the...
of Columbia University and Roger Tsien
Roger Y. Tsien
Roger Yonchien Tsien is a Chinese American biochemist and a professor at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego...
of the University of California-San Diego.
Biography
Born in Fukuchiyama, KyotoFukuchiyama, Kyoto
is a city located in northern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, on the Yura River. It is about 25 km inland from the Sea of Japan at the southern end of the Fukuchiyama Valley, and is surrounded by mountains to the south, west, and east....
in 1928, Shimomura was brought up in Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
(Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, China) and Osaka, Japan while his father served as an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. Later, his family moved to Isahaya, Nagasaki
Isahaya, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on September 1, 1940. On March 1, 2005, the city expanded through a merger with the surrounding towns of Tarami, Moriyama, Iimori, Takaki and Konagai merged to form the new city of Isahaya...
, 15 miles from the epicenter of the August 1945 atomic bombing of the city. He recalls hearing, as a 16-year-old boy, the bomber plane before the atom bomb exploded. The explosion flash blinded Shimomura for about thirty seconds, and he was later drenched by the "black rain" bomb fallout. He overcame great odds in the following 11 years to earn an education and achieve academic success.
Shimomura's educational opportunities were starkly limited in devastated, post-war Japan. Although he later recalled having no interest in the subject, he enrolled in the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Nagasaki Medical College (now Nagasaki University
Nagasaki University
is a national university of Japan. Its nickname is Chōdai . The main campus is located in Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences). The Medical College campus had been entirely destroyed by the atomic bomb blast, forcing the pharmacy school to relocate to a temporary campus near Shimomura's home. This proximity was the fortuitous reason he embarked upon the studies and career which would ultimately lead to unanticipated rewards. Shimomura was awarded a BS
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in pharmacy in 1951, and he stayed on as a lab assistant through 1955.
Shimomura's mentor at Nagasaki helped him find employment as an assistant to Professor Yoshimasa Hirata at Nagoya University
Nagoya University
Nagoya University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
in 1956. While working for Professor Hirata, he received a MS
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in organic chemistry in 1958 and, before leaving Japan for an appointment at Princeton University, a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in organic chemistry in 1960 at Nagoya University
. At Nagoya, Hirata assigned Shimomura the challenging task of determining what made the crushed remains of a type of crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
(Jp. umi-hotaru, lit. "sea-firefly", Vargula hilgendorfii
Vargula hilgendorfii
Vargula hilgendorfii, sometimes called the sea-firefly, one of three bioluminescent species known in Japan as umi-hotaru, is a species of ostracod crustacean. It is the only member of genus Vargula to inhabit Japanese waters; all other members of its genus inhabit the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean...
) glow when moistened with water. This assignment led Shimomura to the successful identification of the protein causing the phenomenon, and he published the preliminary findings in the Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan
Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan
Founded in 1926, the Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan is a scientific journal published by the Chemical Society of Japan. Due to World War II publication was suspended between 1945 to 1946...
in a paper entitled Crystalline Cypridina luciferin. The article caught the attention of Professor Frank Johnson at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, and Johnson successfully recruited Shimomura to work with him in 1960.
Study
Shimomura worked in the Department of Biology at PrincetonPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
for Professor Johnson to study jellyfish Aequorea victoria
Aequorea victoria
Aequorea victoria, also sometimes called the crystal jelly, is a bioluminescent hydrozoan jellyfish, or hydromedusa, that is found off the west coast of North America. This species is thought to be synonymous with Aequorea aequorea of Osamu Shimomura, the discoverer of green fluorescent protein . ...
, which they collected during many summers at the Friday Harbor Laboratories of the University of Washington.
In 1962, their work culminated in the discovery of the proteins aequorin
Aequorin
Aequorin is a photoprotein isolated from luminescent jellyfish and a variety of other marine organisms...
and green fluorescent protein
Green fluorescent protein
The green fluorescent protein is a protein composed of 238 amino acid residues that exhibits bright green fluorescence when exposed to blue light. Although many other marine organisms have similar green fluorescent proteins, GFP traditionally refers to the protein first isolated from the...
(GFP) in the small, mouse-sized umbrella-shaped glowing jellyfish Aequorea victoria; for this work, he was awarded a third of the Nobel prize in Chemistry in 2008.
Family
His wife, Akemi, whom Shimomura met at Nagasaki UniversityNagasaki University
is a national university of Japan. Its nickname is Chōdai . The main campus is located in Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan.- History :...
, is also an organic chemist and a partner in his research activities. Their son, Tsutomu Shimomura
Tsutomu Shimomura
is a Japanese scientist and computer security expert based in the United States, who became an instant celebrity when he, together with computer journalist John Markoff, tracked down and helped the FBI arrest hacker Kevin Mitnick....
, is a computer security expert who was involved in the arrest of Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick
Kevin David Mitnick is a computer security consultant, author, and hacker. In the late 20th century, he was convicted of various computer- and communications-related crimes. At the time of his arrest, he was the most-wanted computer criminal in the United States.-Personal life:Mitnick grew up in...
. Their daughter, Sachi Shimomura, is Director of Undergraduate Studies for the English Department at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
and the author of Odd Bodies and Visible Ends in Medieval Literature
Medieval literature
Medieval literature is a broad subject, encompassing essentially all written works available in Europe and beyond during the Middle Ages . The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works...
.
Honors
- Pearse Prize (2004)
- Emile Chamot Award (2005)
- Asahi PrizeAsahi PrizeThe Asahi Prize is a prize awarded by the Japanese newspaper the Asahi shimbun for achievement in scholarship or the arts that has made a contribution to culture or society. It was established in 1929. Many recipients of this prize have later been honoured with a Nobel Prize...
(2006) - Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
(2008) - Order of CultureOrder of CultureThe is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
(2008), Japan.