G. N. Ramachandran facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
G.N. Ramachandran
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Dr. G.N. Ramachandran
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| Born | 8 October 1922 |
| Died | 7 April 2001 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | University of Madras (BSc, MSc, D.Sc) University of Cambridge (PhD) |
| Known for | Ramachandran plot |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biophysics |
| Institutions | St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli Madras University Indian Institute of Science Cavendish Laboratory |
| Doctoral advisor | C V Raman |
Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran, often called G.N. Ramachandran, was a brilliant Indian physicist. He was born on October 8, 1922, and passed away on April 7, 2001. He is famous for creating the Ramachandran plot. This special tool helps scientists understand the structure of tiny parts of proteins called peptides.
He was also the first person to suggest a triple-helix shape for collagen. Collagen is a very important protein found in our bodies, like in skin and bones. Dr. Ramachandran made many other big discoveries in both biology and physics.
Early Life and Education
G.N. Ramachandran was born in a town called Ernakulam in India. He came from a Tamil Brahmin family. In 1939, he finished his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He studied at St Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli.
In 1942, he joined the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. He first started in Electrical Engineering. But he soon realized his true passion was physics. So, he switched to the Physics Department. There, he worked on his master's and doctoral degrees. His supervisor was the famous Nobel Prize winner, Sir C. V. Raman.
Ramachandran earned his master's degree in physics in 1942. He got his D.Sc. degree in 1947. During this time, he mainly studied crystal physics and crystal optics. He even invented a special X-ray mirror. This mirror helped focus X-rays for a new type of microscope. His work helped create a field called crystal topography. This field is still used today to study how crystals grow.
After his studies in India, Ramachandran went to Cambridge. He spent two years (1947–1949) at the Cavendish Laboratory. There, he earned his PhD. His research focused on using X-rays to study crystals. His supervisor was Professor William Alfred Wooster. Wooster was a leading expert in crystallography.
Amazing Research Discoveries
After getting his PhD, Dr. Ramachandran came back to India. In 1949, he became an assistant professor of physics. He worked at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. In 1952, he moved to Madras University. He became a professor and head of the Physics Department. He continued his work on crystal physics there.
However, his interest soon shifted to the structure of biological macromolecules. These are very large molecules found in living things. Using a method called X-ray diffraction, Ramachandran made a huge discovery. In 1954, he and his colleague Gopinath Kartha published their findings. They showed the world the triple helical structure of collagen. This important discovery was published in the journal Nature. It brought a lot of attention to the "Madras group."
At Madras University, Professor Ramachandran was highly respected. He wanted to understand how proteins were built at a very basic level. He decided to study different shapes of polypeptides. Polypeptides are chains of amino acids that make up proteins. He wanted to create a way to check and understand any protein structure.
The result of his hard work was the Ramachandran plot. This plot was created in 1962. It was published in the Journal of Molecular Biology in 1963. Today, it is a key tool for understanding protein shapes. When he first created it, scientists had not yet figured out the crystal structures of many proteins. From the mid-1960s, Ramachandran studied many topics. These included different types of protein bends and how amino acids fit together.
In 1968, he received the important Jawarharlal Nehru Fellowship. This was for his research on protein shapes. He was one of the first scientists to receive this award. Ramachandran helped bring together different fields of science. He combined X-ray crystallography, peptide synthesis, and other studies. This created the new field of molecular biophysics. In 1970, he started the Molecular Biophysics Unit. This unit was at the Indian Institute of Science. It later became known as the Centre of Advanced Study in Biophysics.
Ramachandran and A.V. Lakshminarayanan also made a big improvement in X-ray tomography. This is a technique used to create detailed images of the inside of objects. They developed new computer methods. These methods made X-ray images much clearer and faster to create. Their work helped make modern X-ray scanners possible. They published their research in 1971 in PNAS.
In 1981, Ramachandran became a founding member of the World Cultural Council. This council promotes science, art, and education.
Dr. Ramachandran received many awards. These include the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for Physics in India (1961). He also became a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. In 1999, he received the Ewald Prize. This award was for his amazing contributions to crystallography. He was even nominated for the Nobel Prize. This was for his important work on protein structure and function.
Later Years and Legacy
Sadly, Ramachandran's health declined after his wife, Rajalakshmi, passed away in 1998. In his last few years, he suffered a stroke. He also developed Parkinson's disease. G.N. Ramachandran died in 2001 at the age of 78. Many leading scientists, like Professor Linus Pauling and Professor Francis Crick, believed he deserved a Nobel Prize. They saw him as a scientist of great reputation.
To honor his memory, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) gives an award each year. It is called the "G N Ramachandran Gold Medal for Excellence in Biological Sciences & Technology." This award recognizes great work in biological sciences and technology.
See also
In Spanish: G. N. Ramachandran para niños
