Walter Gilbert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter Gilbert
ForMemRS
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Walter Gilbert in 2008
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| Born | March 21, 1932 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Education | |
| Known for | DNA sequencing |
| Spouse(s) |
Celia Stone
(m. 1953) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | Harvard University |
| Thesis | On generalised dispersion relations and meson-nucleon scattering (1958) |
| Doctoral advisor | Abdus Salam |
| Doctoral students |
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Walter Gilbert (born March 21, 1932) is an American biochemist and physicist. He is known as a pioneer in molecular biology. Gilbert also won a Nobel Prize for his important work.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Walter Gilbert was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 21, 1932. His mother, Emma, was a child psychologist. His father, Richard, was an economist.
When Walter was seven, his family moved to the Washington D.C. area. There, he met Celia Stone when they were both eight years old. They later married when they were 21.
Walter went to Sidwell Friends School. He then studied at Harvard University. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics in 1953. In 1954, he received a master's degree in physics. He continued his studies at the University of Cambridge. He earned his PhD in physics in 1957. His advisor was Abdus Salam, who also won a Nobel Prize.
Career and Scientific Discoveries
Gilbert returned to Harvard in 1956. He became an assistant professor of physics in 1959. His wife, Celia, worked with James Watson. This made Gilbert interested in molecular biology. Watson and Gilbert worked together in their lab for many years.
In 1964, Gilbert became an associate professor of biophysics. By 1968, he was a professor of biochemistry.
Starting Biotech Companies
Walter Gilbert helped start two important biotech companies. He co-founded Biogen with Kenneth Murray, Phillip Sharp, and Charles Weissman. He also co-founded Myriad Genetics. He was the first chairman for both companies.
In 1996, Gilbert and Stuart B. Levy started Paratek Pharmaceuticals. Gilbert was the chairman until 2014.
Mapping the Human Genome
Gilbert was one of the first people to suggest sequencing the human genome. This means figuring out the entire genetic code of humans. In 1986, he said, "The total human sequence is the grail of human genetics." He thought that knowing the human genome would change biology. He imagined that computer databases would become as important as lab tools.
Key Discoveries in Molecular Biology
With his student Benno Müller-Hill, Gilbert was the first to purify the lac repressor. This is a protein that controls genes. It was a big step in understanding how genes work.
Gilbert also worked with Allan Maxam to create a new DNA sequencing method. This method uses chemicals to read the order of nucleotides in DNA. Their method, called Maxam–Gilbert sequencing, was very important.
Gilbert also helped explain how genes are put together. He suggested the terms introns and exons in 1978. Introns are parts of a gene that are removed. Exons are the parts that are "expressed" or used.
In 1986, Gilbert proposed the RNA world hypothesis. This idea suggests that RNA was the main genetic material early in life. It played a key role before DNA became common.
Awards and Recognition
Walter Gilbert has received many awards for his scientific work.
- In 1969, he won Harvard's Ledlie Prize.
- In 1979, he received the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University. He shared this with Frederick Sanger.
- He also won the Gairdner Prize and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 1979.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Gilbert was awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared it with Frederick Sanger and Paul Berg. Gilbert and Sanger were honored for their groundbreaking methods. They found ways to figure out the sequence of nucleotides in nucleic acids. This was a huge step in understanding genetics.
Other Honors
Gilbert was also recognized by the United States National Academy of Sciences. He became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 1987. In 2002, he received the Biotechnology Heritage Award.
In 2017, his 1977 paper with Allan Maxam, "A new method for sequencing DNA," received a Citation for Chemical Breakthrough Award.
Personal Life
Walter Gilbert married Celia Stone in 1953. They have two children. After retiring from Harvard in 2001, Gilbert started an artistic career. He combines art and science, often using digital photography.
See also
In Spanish: Walter Gilbert para niños
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
