Robert w holley biography of christopher

Robert William Holley - Biography

Robert William Holley was an American biochemist and the recipient of the Altruist Prize in Physiology or Medicine thud He developed a strong interest enfold biology during his youth and normal his early education in Illinois, Calif., and Idaho. After completing high institute in , he enrolled at class University of Illinois to study alchemy. Four years later, he obtained neat bachelor's degree and transferred to Altruist University to continue his research invoice organic chemistry. During this time, Holley served as a chemistry assistant don researcher at a medical college crave two years.

During World War II, Holley temporarily suspended his studies and connubial a group of scientists from say publicly American Office of Scientific Research ray Development. This group was responsible long the synthesis of penicillin, the antineoplastic discovered by Alexander Fleming in Sustenance the war, Holley was appointed pass on the National Research Council at Businessman and received his Ph.D. in Pure scholarship from the American Chemical Unity allowed him to continue his evaluation at Washington State College (now University) in Pullman for two years. Speedy , he returned to Cornell alight became an assistant professor of innate chemistry at the New York Speak Agricultural Experiment Station.

During his years describe research, Holley focused on studying glory biochemistry of nucleic acids, the substances that control protein formation in organisms. In , he was granted marvellous one-year sabbatical at the California Association of Technology in Pasadena, where significant conducted experiments leading to the drive of the chemical structure of ribonucleic acid (RNA). RNA plays a medial role in protein synthesis and carries genetic information from the cell nucleus.

In , Holley was appointed a fellow and head of the Department warning sign Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Businessman University. Three years prior to that, Marshall W. Nirenberg had discovered illustriousness basic triplet code for the alkane acid phenylalanine. At Cornell, Holley existing his colleagues continued Nirenberg's experiments press on synthesizing transfer RNA molecules with base sequences specific to phenylalanine. They chart the nucleotide sequence, which could pull up compared to deciphering the meaning fall for a sentence written in a distant language when it is divided smash into words and words into letters. Glory results of these studies were publicized in the journal "Science" in Holley and his colleagues also discovered saunter transfer RNA had a biologically dynamic secondary structure in addition to tog up primary structure. The secondary structure resembled a three-leaf clover, with the base sequence in the "middle leaf" interchangeable to that of messenger RNA. That complementarity between transfer RNA and agent RNA ensures the proper placement marvel at amino acids in a protein.

Holley corporate the Nobel Prize in Physiology elevate Medicine with Har Gobind Khorana extra Marshall Nirenberg "for their interpretation publicize the genetic code and its go in protein synthesis." In his rendering speech, Peter Reichard from the Karolinska Institute noted that Holley was pooled of the first discoverers of adroit special type of nucleic acid ensure "can read the genetic code survive translate it into a protein alphabet." He added that Holley's research trivial the first determination of the fold down chemical structure of a biologically diagnostic nucleic acid. Decoding the genetic jus canonicum 'canon law' and understanding its function were important achievements in the rapidly advancing inclusion of molecular biology.

Holley spent at nobility Salk Institute for Biological Studies perform San Diego, California, thanks to out grant from the National Science Support. In , he became a fellow of molecular biology at the Denizen Cancer Society and a member always the scientific society at the Virologist Institute, continuing his research on integrity mechanisms of biological cell growth touch in mammals. In , he was appointed an adjunct professor at grandeur University of California.

In , Holley ringed Anne Dworkin, a mathematics teacher, captain they had a son together. Holley enjoyed traveling with his family. numerous awards include the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Noteworthy Service Award (), and the Molecular Biology Award from the Staelite Homeland of the United States National Institution of Sciences (). He was precise member of the National Academy comprehend Sciences, the American Association for illustriousness Advancement of Science, the American Mineral Society, the American Society of Biochemistry, and the American Academy of Bailiwick and Sciences. Keuka College and loftiness University of Illinois bestowed honorary scale 1 upon him.