Hans Kornberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Hans Kornberg
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| Born |
Hans Leo Kornberg
14 January 1928 |
| Died | 16 December 2019 (aged 91) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | University of Sheffield |
| Relatives | Susanna Cork (granddaughter) Benedict Cork (grandson) |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
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Sir Hans Leo Kornberg (born January 14, 1928 – died December 16, 2019) was a very important British-American scientist who studied biochemistry. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that happen inside living things. He was a special professor of biochemistry at the University of Cambridge from 1975 to 1995. He also led Christ's College, Cambridge, a part of Cambridge University, from 1982 to 1995.
Contents
Growing Up and Learning
Hans Kornberg was born in 1928 in Germany. His parents, Max and Selma, were Jewish. In 1939, when he was 11 years old, he had to leave Nazi Germany because it was not safe for Jewish people. Sadly, his parents passed away in 1943.
Hans moved to Yorkshire, England, to live with his uncle. He first went to a school for German refugees. Later, he attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield.
After school, he started working as a junior lab assistant for a famous scientist named Hans Krebs at the University of Sheffield. Hans Krebs encouraged him to study more. Hans Kornberg then earned a degree in Chemistry from the University of Sheffield in 1949. He became very interested in biochemistry and earned his PhD degree in 1953. His research was about a substance called urease found in animal stomachs.
His Amazing Science Career
After finishing his studies, Hans Kornberg received a special scholarship. He spent two years working in the USA at Yale University. When he came back to the UK, his mentor, Sir Hans Krebs, offered him a job at Oxford University.
Working together, they made a big discovery about something called the glyoxylate cycle. This is a special process that helps living things use fats for energy. They published their discovery in a famous science magazine called Nature. They also wrote a book together in 1957.
In 1960, Hans Kornberg became the first professor of biochemistry at the University of Leicester. He stayed there until 1975. Later, he became a special professor of biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. He also received the first-ever Colworth Medal in 1963, which is a big award for biochemists.
In 1975, he became a Fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge. From 1982 to 1995, he was the leader, or "Master," of Christ's College. In 1995, he moved to the USA again. He became a professor of biology at Boston University, where he taught biochemistry.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Hans Kornberg received many important awards and honours for his work.
- In 1965, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.
- He also received the Colworth Medal again in 1965.
- In 1973, he was given the Otto Warburg Medal in Germany.
- In 1978, the Queen of England made him a knight for his great contributions to science. This is why he was called "Sir Hans."
He also received 11 honorary doctorates, which are special degrees given to people for their achievements. He was also chosen to be a member of many important science groups around the world, including:
- The United States National Academy of Sciences
- The German Academy of Sciences "Leopoldina"
- The Italian National Academy of Sciences "Lincei"
- The American Philosophical Society
- The American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- The American Society of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology
- The Japanese Biochemical Society
- Phi Beta Kappa Society
He was also an Honorary Fellow of:
- The Biochemical Society (UK)
- The Royal Society of Biology
- Brasenose College (Oxford)
- Worcester College (Oxford)
- Wolfson College (Cambridge)
- The Foulkes Foundation (London)
About His Family
While working at Oxford, Hans Kornberg met Monica King. They got married in 1956 and had four children: Julia, Rachel, Jonathan, and Simon. Monica passed away in 1989. In 1991, he married Donna Haber. Sir Hans Kornberg died on December 16, 2019, at the age of 91.
