William Howard Stein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Howard Stein
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | June 25, 1911 New York City, New York, USA
|
| Died | February 2, 1980 (aged 68) New York City, New York, USA
|
| Education | Harvard University Columbia University |
| Spouse(s) | Phoebe Hockstader (1936–1980; his death; 3 children) (1913–1989) |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1972) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
| Institutions | Rockefeller University |
| Thesis | The Composition of Elastin (1938) |
| Doctoral advisor | Hans Thacher Clarke |
William Howard Stein (born June 25, 1911 – died February 2, 1980) was an American biochemist. He worked with others to figure out the exact order of parts in a protein called ribonuclease. They also learned how this structure helps the protein do its job. For this important work, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1972.
Stein also helped create a machine that could automatically analyze amino acids. This was a big step forward in a science method called chromatography. It helped lead to modern ways of studying chemicals, like liquid and gas chromatography.
Contents
William Stein's Early Life and Education
William H. Stein was born on June 25, 1911, in New York City. His family was Jewish. His father, Fred M. Stein, was a businessman who retired early. He spent his time helping health groups in New York.
His mother, Beatrice Borg Stein, worked to help children. She created fun after-school activities for them. Both of Stein's parents cared a lot about helping society. They encouraged his interest in science from a young age.
School Days and Family Life
As a child, Stein went to the Lincoln School. This school was new and had a "progressive" way of teaching. It was supported by the Teachers College of Columbia University. There, he could explore science through field trips and projects. When he was sixteen, Stein moved to the Phillips Exeter Academy. This school helped him get ready for college.
In 1936, while he was studying at Columbia University, William H. Stein married Phoebe Hockstader. They had three sons: William Jr., David, and Robert. Stein and his family lived in New York for the rest of his life. They mostly lived in Manhattan and for a short time in Scarsdale, New York.
Becoming a Biochemist
William H. Stein started college at Harvard University in 1929. He studied chemistry there. After one year, he moved to Columbia University in 1934. He wanted to focus on biochemistry, which is the study of the chemistry of living things.
Hans Thatcher Clarke was the head of the department at Columbia. He brought together many smart students who became famous biochemists. In 1937, Stein finished his Ph.D. He wrote his thesis on the amino acid makeup of elastin. Elastin is a protein that helps tissues stretch.
Stein met Max Bergmann, a biochemist who had moved to the U.S. from Germany. Bergmann worked at the Rockefeller Institute. Stein used special chemicals to find and separate amino acids like glycine and proline for his research. After finishing his studies, Stein went to work with Bergmann.
Later Years and Passing
William H. Stein and his wife traveled around the world. They also welcomed many important scientists into their home in New York City. Besides his long time as a professor at Rockefeller Institute, he was also a visiting professor. He taught at the University of Chicago in 1961 and Harvard University in 1964. Stein also gave lectures at other universities.
In 1969, Stein suddenly became paralyzed. This happened after he got a fever during a meeting in Copenhagen. Doctors said he had Guillain-Barré syndrome. Even though he could not move his arms and legs for the rest of his life, his friends said he kept his good spirit and humor. He continued to guide younger scientists at the Rockefeller Institute. He helped them with their work on RNase. William H. Stein died on February 2, 1980, in New York City, at the age of sixty-eight.
William Stein's Scientific Discoveries
Working with Stanford Moore
After finishing his education, Stein became a researcher at the Rockefeller Institute. This is where he did much of his most important work. Stanford Moore joined Bergmann's lab in 1939. There, he and Stein started working together on amino acids. Moore said that their way of working together lasted their whole lives.
Their work was stopped when World War II began. They both helped with the war efforts. Stein stayed with Bergmann to study how certain chemicals affected the human body. After Bergmann died in 1944, Stein and Moore started working together again. The director of the Rockefeller Institute, Herbert S. Gasser, gave them a chance to continue Bergmann's work on amino acids.
Improving Chemical Separation (Chromatography)
Stein and Moore created a way to measure and separate amino acids. They used a method called column chromatography. They used potato starch to help separate the chemicals. At first, they collected the separated parts by hand. But then they invented a machine that collected them automatically. They also found a way to measure each amino acid using a special color reaction.
They kept trying new ways to separate chemicals. They wanted to make the process faster. It used to take two weeks to analyze one protein! With a new method called ion exchange chromatography, they cut the time down to 5 days. With the help of Daryl Spackman, they made it even faster. This led to the first automatic amino acid analyzer. This machine was also used to study amino acids in human urine and blood.
Unlocking Protein Secrets
With their success in analyzing amino acids faster, Stein and Moore decided to figure out the full structure of a protein. In the early 1950s, they chose bovine ribonuclease. By 1960, they had figured out the entire sequence of this protein. This sequence, combined with X-ray crystallography (a way to see the protein's 3D shape), helped them find the protein's active site. The active site is the part of the protein that does the work.
In 1972, Stein won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared it with Stanford Moore and Christian Boehmer Anfinsen. They won for their work on ribonuclease. Their discoveries helped us understand how a protein's chemical structure is connected to how it works.
Awards and Special Recognitions
William H. Stein received many awards for his important work in biochemistry.
- American Chemical Society Award in Chromatography and Electrophoresis (1964) with Stanford Moore
- Richards Medal of the American Chemical Society (1972) with Stanford Moore
- Kaj Linderstrøm-Lang Award, Copenhagen (1972) with Stanford Moore
- The Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1972) with Stanford Moore and Christian B. Anfinsen
He also received special honors from Columbia University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. These included honorary doctorates and an Award of Excellence Medal. Stein was a member of several important scientific groups. These included the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
See also
In Spanish: William Howard Stein para niños
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
