Martin Karplus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin Karplus
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Nobel Prize Laureate Martin Karplus during press conference in Stockholm, December 2013
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| Born | March 15, 1930 |
| Citizenship | American, Austrian |
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| Thesis | A quantum-mechanical discussion of the bifluoride ion (1954) |
| Doctoral advisor | Linus Pauling |
Martin Karplus (born March 15, 1930) is a famous scientist from Austria and America. He is a theoretical chemist. He leads a special science lab in France, which is part of the French National Center for Scientific Research and the University of Strasbourg. He also used to be a professor at Harvard University in the United States.
In 2013, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with two other scientists, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel. They won for creating new ways to understand how tiny parts of chemicals work together. These methods are called "multiscale models".
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Early Life and Family
Martin Karplus was born in Vienna, Austria. When he was a child, his family had to leave their home. This was because the Nazis took over Austria in 1938. They traveled through Switzerland and France before moving to the United States.
His family was known as a smart and successful Jewish family in Vienna. His grandfather, Johann Paul Karplus, was a respected professor of psychiatry. Martin's brother, Robert Karplus, was also a well-known physicist and educator. His nephew, Andrew Karplus, is a professor who studies biochemistry and biophysics.
Education and Teaching
Martin Karplus studied at Harvard College and earned his first degree in 1951. He then went to the California Institute of Technology for his advanced studies. He finished his PhD in 1953. His teacher was Linus Pauling, who also won a Nobel Prize. Pauling said Karplus was his "most brilliant student."
After his PhD, Karplus worked at the University of Oxford in England. He then taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1955 to 1960. Later, he taught at Columbia University from 1960 to 1965. In 1966, he became a chemistry professor at Harvard University.
In 1996, he also became a professor at the Louis Pasteur University in France. Over his career, he has guided more than 200 students and researchers.
Scientific Research
Martin Karplus published his first scientific paper when he was just 17 years old. He has made important contributions to many areas of chemistry. These include how chemicals react and how tiny particles behave. He is especially known for his work on molecular dynamics simulations. These simulations help scientists understand how large biological molecules move.
He also helped scientists understand nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This is a technique used to study molecules. The Karplus equation is named after him. It helps explain how atoms in molecules are connected.
In 1970, a scientist named Arieh Warshel joined Karplus at Harvard. They worked together to create a computer program. This program could model molecules using both classical physics and quantum mechanics. In 1974, they published a paper about their work. They successfully used their model to show how a protein called retinal changes shape. Retinal is very important for vision.
Today, his research focuses on understanding molecules that are important for living things. His group also created and developed the CHARMM program. This program is used for molecular dynamics simulations.
Books by Martin Karplus
- Martin Karplus. Spinach on the Ceiling: The Multifaceted Life of a Theoretical Chemist, World Scientific Publishing, UK 2020.
- CL Brooks III, M Karplus, BM Pettitt. Proteins: A Theoretical Perspective of Dynamics, Structure and Thermodynamics, Volume LXXI, in: Advances in Chemical Physics, John Wiley & Sons, New York 1988.
- Martin Karplus and Richard N. Porter. Atoms and Molecules: An Introduction for Students of Physical Chemistry. W. A. Benjamin, New York 1970.
Awards and Honors
Karplus has received many awards for his scientific work. He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1967. He received the Irving Langmuir Award in 1987. He is also a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.
In 2000, he became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in the UK. He was given the Christian B. Anfinsen Award in 2001. In 2004, he received the Linus Pauling Award. His biggest honor was the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2013.
Personal Life
Martin Karplus is married to Marci. They have three children.
See also
In Spanish: Martin Karplus para niños
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
