Herman Branson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herman Russell Branson
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Branson, right, at Morgan State University circa 1960
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| Born |
Herman Russell Branson
August 14, 1914 Pocahontas, Virginia, U.S.
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| Died | June 7, 1995 (aged 80) |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for | Research on the α protein structure |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics, Biochemistry |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | I. The effects of soft x-rays on Tubifex Tubifex, II. The construction and operation of an x-ray intensity measuring device, III. The quantization of mass. (1939) |
| Doctoral advisor | Boris Padolsky |
| Doctoral students | Titus Pankey Arthur Thorpe |
Herman Russell Branson (born August 14, 1914 – died June 7, 1995) was an important American scientist. He was a physicist (someone who studies how energy and matter work) and a chemist (someone who studies what things are made of). Dr. Branson is best known for his work on the structure of proteins, especially something called the alpha (α) protein structure. He also led two colleges as their president. He was one of the first African American physicists to focus his research on crystallography, which is a way to study the tiny, organized structures of crystals.
Early Life and Education
Herman Russell Branson was born in Pocahontas, Virginia. He loved learning and earned his first college degree, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), from Virginia State College in 1936. He continued his studies and received his Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in physics from the University of Cincinnati in 1939. His research for this degree involved studying how X-rays interact with tiny worms and designing a device to measure X-rays. He also explored complex ideas about mass.
After working at Dillard University, Dr. Branson joined Howard University in 1941. He started as an assistant professor, teaching both physics and chemistry. He stayed at Howard for 27 years, taking on more important roles. He became the head of the physics department and directed programs in science and math. He also worked on projects for the U.S. Navy and the Atomic Energy Commission.
Dr. Branson's scientific work helped us understand how proteins function. He also studied how proteins are involved in diseases like sickle cell anemia, a condition that affects red blood cells. One of his notable students at Howard University was Marie Maynard Daly. She became the first African American woman in the United States to earn a doctorate degree in chemistry.
Discovering Protein Structures
In 1948, Dr. Branson took a break from Howard University. He went to the California Institute of Technology to work in the lab of a famous chemist named Linus Pauling. There, Dr. Branson used his strong math skills to figure out the possible shapes of proteins. Proteins are like tiny building blocks in our bodies. Scientists knew they often formed spiral, or "helical," shapes.
Dr. Branson's job was to use X-ray data and chemical rules to find these shapes. After several months, he identified two main spiral structures. One was a tighter coil, which Pauling called the alpha (α) helix. The other was a looser spiral, called the gamma (γ) helix.
Dr. Branson then returned to Howard University. Later, he received a letter from Linus Pauling. It included a draft of a scientific paper about the two helixes. Dr. Branson was listed as the third author, recognizing his important contributions to this discovery. This paper was a big step in understanding how proteins are built.
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