Elmer L. Gaden facts for kids

Elmer L. Gaden Jr. (born 1923, died 2012) is known as "the father of biochemical engineering." He was a brilliant scientist who figured out how much oxygen was needed to make penicillin using a process called fermentation. This was a huge step for medicine!

Gaden started the first program for biochemical engineering at Columbia University. He taught and researched there for 26 years. Later, he became a dean at the University of Vermont and then a professor at the University of Virginia. He retired in 1994 and passed away in 2012.

Elmer Gaden's Early Life and School

Elmer Gaden was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1923. He went to Brooklyn Technical High School starting in 1936. During World War II, he joined the Navy. He studied chemical engineering at Columbia University very quickly.

After serving in the Pacific War, he went back to Columbia. There, he earned his master's degree and his doctorate (a very high-level degree).

How Gaden Changed Science

Elmer Gaden's most important work was about making penicillin. Penicillin is a medicine that fights infections. Back then, scientists needed to make it in large amounts.

Understanding Penicillin Production

Gaden's special paper explained how to make penicillin. It showed chemical engineers the basic science behind the process. Most importantly, it helped them figure out exactly how much oxygen was needed for the fermentation process to work well. He shared this important paper in 1950. It was later published in a science magazine.

Building a New Field of Study

After working at a company called Pfizer, Gaden was asked to return to Columbia University. His job was to create the school's first program in biochemical engineering. This new field combines biology and engineering.

He led the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry twice. Gaden was known as a tough teacher. He expected a lot from the many students he taught.

Awards and Honors for Gaden

Elmer Gaden received many awards for his amazing work. In 1986, he got the Egleston Medal from Columbia University. A year later, another university gave him an honorary doctorate.

Gaden was very interested in using living things to make chemicals. He wrote many articles and started a science magazine called Biotechnology and Bioengineering. He was the editor of this magazine for 25 years!

He was also chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He received several awards from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. In 1994, he was honored at a special event. He also received the Marvin Johnson Award for his important research in modern biochemical technology.

Gaden's Later Life and Legacy

In 2009, Elmer Gaden received the Russ Prize. This is one of the top awards in bioengineering worldwide. It recognized his huge impact on the field.

In his free time, Gaden helped adults learn to read. He also enjoyed birdwatching with his wife.

Elmer Gaden Jr. passed away on March 10, 2012. He and his wife, Jennifer, had three children: Barbara, David, and Paul. His work helped create the field of biochemical engineering. This field continues to help us make important medicines and other products today.