Hans Kosterlitz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hans Kosterlitz
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| Born |
Hans Walter Kosterlitz
27 April 1903 |
| Died | 26 October 1996 (aged 93) |
| Nationality | British, German (before 1933) |
| Alma mater | Humboldt University of Berlin |
| Known for | Endorphins |
| Spouse(s) | Johanna Greßhöner |
| Awards | Harvey Prize (1981) Fellow of the Royal Society (1978) Royal Medal (1979) Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh (1988) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
| Institutions | University of Aberdeen |
Hans Walter Kosterlitz was a very important scientist. He was born in Germany but later became a British biochemist. He lived from April 27, 1903, to October 26, 1996. He is best known for helping to discover natural pain-relieving chemicals in our bodies called endorphins.
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About Hans Kosterlitz
Hans Walter Kosterlitz was born in Berlin, Germany, on April 27, 1903. He was the older son of Bernhard Kosterlitz, who was a doctor, and Selma Helena Lepman.
His father first suggested he study law. Hans tried it for six months at the University of Berlin. But he soon decided to switch to medicine instead.
His Early Career in Medicine
Hans Kosterlitz finished his medical degree in 1928. He then worked in a special department with a famous doctor named Wilhelm His Jr. From 1930 to 1933, he was an assistant at the Charité hospital in Berlin.
He worked in the radiology department during the day. Radiology uses X-rays and other imaging to see inside the body. In the evenings, he did his own research in the lab. He became very interested in how the body uses carbohydrates for energy.
Moving to Scotland
In 1933, a new law was passed in Germany. This law made it difficult for people of Jewish background to work in certain jobs. Hans Kosterlitz had Jewish family.
He reached out to John Macleod, a scientist in Aberdeen, Scotland. Macleod found some money to help Hans. He told Hans, "Come to Aberdeen, but I can't promise a permanent job." Hans Kosterlitz moved to Scotland in March 1934.
John Macleod sadly passed away in 1935. Soon after, Hans Kosterlitz received his first research grant. It was £50 from a new group called the Diabetic Association. He later got more funding from the Medical Research Council.
Family Life
On March 9, 1937, Hans married Johanna Maria Katharina Greßhöner. She was known as Hanna and was a friend from Berlin. She had moved to Scotland in 1935.
Hans and Hanna had a son named John Michael. John Michael Kosterlitz grew up to be a Professor of Physics at Brown University. He even won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2016!
Over the years, Hans Kosterlitz held many important positions at the University of Aberdeen. He was a teacher and researcher, moving up to become a Reader.
Discovering Endorphins
Hans Kosterlitz is most famous for his work on endorphins. Endorphins are natural chemicals in your brain. They act like natural pain relievers and can make you feel good.
He used a special experiment with a muscle from a mouse. He would make the muscle contract (tighten) using electricity. A machine recorded these contractions.
He then added special medicines called opiates to the solution. When opiates were added, the muscle stopped contracting. This showed that opiates could stop the muscle's movement.
Later, scientists found that if they added both opiates and another special medicine called naloxone, the muscle would start contracting again. Naloxone is an "antagonist," meaning it blocks the effects of opiates.
How Endorphins Were Found
The big discovery happened when they used a liquid made from pig brain cells. When this liquid was added to the mouse muscle, the contractions stopped! This was a huge clue. It meant there were natural substances in the brain that acted like opiates. These natural substances were later named endorphins.
Scientists found that how well an opiate stops muscle contractions is related to how well it works as a pain reliever. This research helped us understand how our bodies control pain naturally.
Awards and Recognitions
Hans Kosterlitz received many awards and honors for his important work.
- 1951 Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- 1976 Schmiedeberg Plakette, German Pharmacological Society
- 1977 Pacesetter award (US National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- 1977 Scheele Award
- 1978 Fellow of the Royal Society of London
- 1978 Nathan B. Eddy Award
- 1978 Albert Lasker Award
- 1979 Baly Medal, Royal College of Physicians
- 1979 Royal Medal, Royal Society of London
- 1980 MacDougal–Brisbane Prize, Royal Society of Edinburgh
- 1980 Honorary membership, British Pharmacological Society
- 1981 Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
- 1981 Feldberg Prize
- 1981 Harvey Prize, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
- 1982 Sherrington Memorial Medal, Royal Society of Medicine
- 1983 The Dautrebande Prize, Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique
- 1984 Honorary membership, The Physiological Society
- 1985 Foreign Associate, National Academy of Sciences
- 1987 Wellcome Gold Medal, British Pharmacological Society
- 1988 Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh
In 2010, the Kosterlitz Centre was opened at the University of Aberdeen. It was named in his honor to remember his amazing contributions to science.
His friend and colleague, Dr. Gordon M Lees, described Hans Kosterlitz in 1998: "He was a quiet, rather modest man, who was greatly respected, both as a scientist and as a person of real courage, honor, judgment, polite manners, and inflexible integrity of conduct and consistency of principle."
