Hartmut Michel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hartmut Michel
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Hartmut Michel in 2013
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| Born | 18 July 1948 Ludwigsburg, Württemberg-Baden, American Zone, Allied-occupied Germany
(now in Baden-Württemberg, Germany) |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | University of Tübingen |
| Known for | Crystallisation of membrane proteins |
| Spouse(s) | Elena Olkhova |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
| Institutions | Max Planck Institute for Biophysics |
Hartmut Michel (born 18 July 1948) is a German biochemist. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1988. He received this award for figuring out the exact structure of a special protein. This protein is found in the outer layer (membrane) of cells. It is super important for a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is how plants and some bacteria make their own food using sunlight.
Early Life and Studies
Hartmut Michel was born in Ludwigsburg, Germany. This was on July 18, 1948. After finishing his military service, he went to the University of Tübingen. There, he studied biochemistry. In his last year, he worked in a lab. He studied how a protein called ATPase works in tiny organisms called halobacteria.
Amazing Research and Career
Later, Hartmut Michel focused on something very tricky. He wanted to make crystals of membrane proteins. These proteins are found in the outer layers of cells. Making them into crystals helps scientists see their exact shape. They use a method called X-ray crystallography for this.
In 1988, Hartmut Michel shared the Nobel Prize with two other scientists. Their names were Johann Deisenhofer and Robert Huber. Together, they discovered the 3D shape of a protein complex. This complex is found in certain bacteria that do photosynthesis. It's called a photosynthetic reaction center. This center is key to how a simple type of photosynthesis begins.
Between 1982 and 1985, these three scientists worked hard. They used X-ray crystallography to map out over 10,000 atoms. These atoms make up the protein complex. Their discovery helped everyone understand photosynthesis much better. It also showed how similar photosynthesis is in plants and bacteria. Plus, they created a new way to make crystals of membrane proteins. This was a huge step forward in science!
Since 1987, Hartmut Michel has been a director. He leads the Molecular Membrane Biology department. This is at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysics. It is located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He is also a professor of biochemistry at the Goethe University Frankfurt.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Hartmut Michel has received many important awards. In 1986, he got the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. This is the highest honor for research in Germany. Then, in 1988, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
He also received the Bijvoet Medal in 1989. This was from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. In 1995, he became a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. He also joined the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2005, he was chosen as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in the UK.
