Albert Szent-Gyorgyi American biochemist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1937 Date of Birth: 16.09.1893 Country: USA

1. Childhood and Education
2. Medical Training and World War I
3. Scientific Journey and Nobel Prize
4. Discovery of Vitamin C
5. Muscle Research and Later Life
6. Legacy and Honors

Childhood and Education

Albert Szent-Györgyi von Nagyrápolt, a Hungarian-born American biochemist, was born in Budapest into an affluent family on September 16, 1893. His early childhood was marked by intellectual curiosity and a love for music. Despite initial academic struggles, he became an avid reader in his teenage years and excelled in secondary school.

Medical Training and World War I

In 1911, Szent-Györgyi enrolled in the medical faculty of the University of Budapest. During his studies, he conducted research on epithelial cells and the vitreous humor of the eye. As World War I broke out, he joined the Austro-Hungarian army and served on the Russian and Italian fronts for three years, earning the Silver Medal for Bravery. Traumatized by the senseless violence, he staged an injury to return home.

Scientific Journey and Nobel Prize

After completing his medical degree in 1917, Szent-Györgyi worked in an army bacteriological laboratory. He protested the experiments conducted on Italian prisoners of war, leading to his exile in a Malaria-ridden region of northern Italy. Undeterred, he continued his research upon returning home.

Szent-Györgyi's scientific journey took him to Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, and Leiden. In the early 1920s, he began studying the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates at the University of Groningen. His groundbreaking discoveries on cellular oxidation earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937.

Discovery of Vitamin C

In 1930, Szent-Györgyi isolated a substance he initially called hexuronic acid from various sources, including oranges and adrenal glands. Working with chemist Walter N. Haworth, he determined its structure as ascorbic acid, which was later recognized as vitamin C. He demonstrated that vitamin C deficiency caused scurvy and was crucial for capillary health.

Muscle Research and Later Life

Szent-Györgyi continued his research at the University of Szeged, where he discovered the role of flavonoids in reducing capillary fragility. During World War II, he remained in Hungary and resisted Nazi persecution. In 1947, he emigrated to the United States and established the Institute for Muscle Research at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Legacy and Honors

Szent-Györgyi's scientific contributions revolutionized understanding of biological oxidation and paved the way for subsequent discoveries in biochemistry. He was a vocal advocate against the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons. His numerous awards included the Cameron Prize and the Albert Lasker Award. He passed away on October 22, 1986, at the age of 93.