Germaine Benoit facts for kids

Germaine Benoit (born October 9, 1901, died April 1983) was a smart French scientist. She was a chemical engineer, a pharmacologist (someone who studies how medicines work), and a biologist (someone who studies living things). She is famous for her work on special medicines called sympathomimetic drugs.

Early Life in Paris

Germaine Benoit was born in Paris, France, on October 9, 1901. She was an only child. When she was a teenager, her father, who was a German teacher, went missing during World War I.

Germaine's Education

Germaine was a very dedicated student. In 1918 and 1919, she earned two high school diplomas. The next year, she got a special certificate in physics, chemistry, and natural sciences. This helped her get ready for medical school.

She then went to a school called the Institut de chimie appliquée, which later became the École nationale supérieure de chimie. She studied there for three years and graduated in chemical engineering in 1923. Between 1922 and 1936, she earned five more science degrees in chemistry and biology. That's a lot of learning!

Her Amazing Career

On June 1, 1924, Germaine Benoit started working at the famous Pasteur Institute. She was an assistant in the lab that studied medicinal chemistry, which is about making new medicines.

Just ten years later, in 1934, she won an award called the Prix Louis from the Académie de Médecine. This was for her important research on sympathomimetic drugs. During this time, she also helped a lot in the fight against serious diseases like sleeping sickness and malaria. She used her skills in chemical engineering to help discover and create important medicines like orsanine and rhodoquine.

In 1942, Germaine earned her doctorate degree for her work on special chemical compounds called hydrazines. She kept working in the medical chemistry department and became the head of the lab in 1943. In 1947, she received a very high honor from France, becoming a Knight of the Légion d'honneur.

In 1960, another famous scientist named Daniel Bovet asked Germaine to come work with him. She moved to Rome, Italy, to work at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.

Personal Life

The year after moving to Rome, Germaine married Albert Funke. He was also a head of a lab at the Pasteur Institute, and they had worked together for many years. Germaine and Albert were also friends with another famous scientist named Jacques Monod.

Germaine and her husband retired in 1962 after they returned from working in Italy. Germaine Benoit passed away in Paris in April 1983.

Images for kids

• Portrait photograph of Germaine Benoit by Henri Manuel (c. 1925).jpg

  A portrait photograph of Germaine Benoit taken around 1925 by Henri Manuel.