Jens Reich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jens Reich
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Jens Georg Reich
26 March 1939 Göttingen, Province of Hanover, Nazi Germany
|
| Nationality | German (ex-GDR) |
| Education | Humboldt University of Berlin |
| Known for | The kinetic behaviour of metabolic pathways, foundation of the New Forum |
| Children | Stephanie Reich |
| Awards | Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Prize, Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
| Institutions | Central Institute for Molecular Biology, Berlin-Buch; German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg; Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin |
| Thesis | 1. Arterial Vascular Sounds; 2. Time and Motion in the Metabolism of Living Cells |
Jens Georg Reich (born March 26, 1939) is a German scientist. He is also known for being a civil rights activist in East Germany, which was officially called the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Today, he is a member of the German Ethics Council.
Contents
Life and Important Work
Jens Reich grew up in a town called Halberstadt. He studied medicine and molecular biology at Humboldt University in East Berlin. Molecular biology is the study of how living things work at a very tiny, molecular level.
Early Career and Science
Jens Reich started his career as a doctor in his hometown. Later, he studied biochemistry, which is the study of the chemical processes happening in living things. In 1964, he earned his first doctorate. From 1968, he worked at the Central Institute of Molecular Biology in Berlin.
In 1976, he completed his second doctorate. He worked with another scientist, Evgeni Selkov. They were among the first to study how metabolic pathways work. Metabolic pathways are like a series of chemical reactions in cells that help them get energy and grow. They looked at how these pathways behaved over time.
Activism and Challenges
Even in the 1970s, Jens Reich was interested in discussing the government. In 1970, he helped start a private group called the "Friday Circle." About 30 people who disagreed with the government met to talk about the GDR.
The State Security Ministry, which was like the secret police in East Germany, watched this group. They kept records of their meetings. Because of his views, Jens Reich lost his job as a department head at the Central Institute of Molecular Biology. He was also not allowed to travel to Western countries.
Continuing Research and the Peaceful Revolution
Despite these difficulties, Reich continued his scientific work. He published important papers in the 1970s and 1980s. He studied how to estimate important numbers in enzyme science. He also worked with Samuel Rapoport, a very important biochemist in East Germany.
In September 1989, Jens Reich helped write an important appeal called "Fresh Start 89 – New Forum." This led to the creation of the New Forum, a group that wanted changes in East Germany. On November 4, 1989, he was one of the speakers at the Alexanderplatz demonstration in East Berlin. This was a very large and important protest during the peaceful revolution that led to the end of East Germany.
Jens Reich's daughter, Stephanie Reich, is now a physics professor.
Books and Publications
Jens Reich has written several books about science and society:
- 2005 Reich, Jens Teufelsfragen. Ethische Konflikte in der Biomedizin. (This book discusses ethical questions in biomedicine.)
- 2003 Reich, Jens Es wird ein Mensch gemacht. Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der Gentechnik. (This book explores the possibilities and limits of genetic engineering.)
- 1992 Reich J. G., Abschied von den Lebenslügen.
- 1991 Reich J. G., Rückkehr nach Europa.
- 1981 Reich J. G., Sel’kov E. E., Energy Metabolism of the Cell, A Theoretical Treatise. (This is a scientific book about how cells use energy.)
