David Mervyn Blow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Mervyn Blow
FRS FInstP
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 27 June 1931 Birmingham, England
|
| Died | 8 June 2004 (aged 72) |
| Education | Kingswood School |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (BA, PhD) |
| Known for | Haemoglobin X-ray crystallography |
| Spouse(s) |
Mavis Sears
(m. 1955) |
| Awards | Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1987) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biophysicist |
| Institutions | Massachusetts Institute of Technology National Institutes of Health Imperial College London MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology |
| Thesis | X-ray analysis of haemoglobin : determination of phase angles by isomorphous substitution (1958) |
| Doctoral advisor | Max Perutz |
| Other academic advisors | Alexander Rich |
| Doctoral students |
|
| Other notable students | Thomas A. Steitz Brian Matthews |
David Mervyn Blow (born June 27, 1931 – died June 8, 2004) was an important British scientist. He was a biophysicist, which means he studied how living things work using physics. He was famous for helping to develop X-ray crystallography. This special method helps scientists see the tiny structures of molecules, like those in our bodies. This work has been very helpful for making new medicines.
Early Life and Education
David Blow was born in Birmingham, England. He went to Kingswood School in Bath, Somerset. Later, he studied at the University of Cambridge, where he earned a scholarship to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
In 1958, he finished his PhD. His research focused on using X-rays to study haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a protein in our blood that carries oxygen. His supervisor was Max Perutz at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB).
Career and Research
After finishing his studies at Cambridge, David Blow worked in the United States for two years. He was at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Fulbright Foundation helped fund his work there.
In 1954, he met Max Perutz. They started working together on a new way to study proteins. They used X-rays to look at protein samples at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. This research led to creating a 3D picture of haemoglobin. This was a huge step forward in understanding how molecules are built.
In 1977, Blow became a professor of biophysics at Imperial College London. Many students learned from him. Some of his doctoral students include Richard Henderson, Paul Sigler, and Alice Vrielink.
Awards and Honours
David Blow was recognized for his important work. In 1972, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK. In 1987, he received the Wolf Prize in Chemistry.
Personal Life
David Blow married Mavis Sears in 1955. They had two children, a son named Julian and a daughter named Elizabeth. He passed away at the age of 72 in Appledore, Torridge, which is near Bideford in Devon.
