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Daniel NathansNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1978, jointly with Werner Arber and Hamilton O. Smith
Date of Birth: 30.10.1928
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Daniel Nathans
Early Life and EducationDaniel Nathans was born in Wilmington, Delaware, to Sarah (Levitan) and Samuel Nathans, Jewish immigrants from Russia. Growing up during the economic crisis, he experienced the hardships caused by his father's failed business. Despite this, Nathans remembered his parents' sense of humor in the face of adversity. He attended public schools in Wilmington and worked part-time after school or on weekends. In 1946, he enrolled at the University of Delaware, where he studied mathematics, chemistry, philosophy, and literature, graduating in 1950 with a bachelor's degree. He then attended the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he discovered his passion for medicine under the guidance of dedicated scientists. Inspired by his mentor, Oliver Lowry, Nathans decided to pursue a career as a scientist and educator instead of practicing medicine. In 1954, he obtained his medical degree and began working at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, where he learned from renowned clinician-scientist Robert Loeb. He also worked at the National Cancer Institute from 1955 to 1957, studying protein biosynthesis in malignant plasma cells.
Career and Contributions
After returning to the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Nathans continued to learn from Loeb for two years. From 1959 to 1962, he worked as a research associate in Fritz Lipmann's laboratory at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now Rockefeller University) in New York. He studied protein biosynthesis and identified bacterial factors that accelerate the incorporation of amino acids into protein molecules. During his time at the university, Nathans collaborated with molecular geneticist Norton Zinder to study the role of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in protein synthesis by bacteriophages in vitro.
In 1960, Werner Arber from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, proposed that restriction-modification systems were a fundamental characteristic of bacteria. He also discovered a restriction endonuclease in the bacterium Escherichia coli. Nathans became interested in the possibility of using restriction enzymes to analyze the genetic structure of oncoviruses. In 1962, he joined the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as an assistant professor of microbiology and head of the genetics department. Over the years, he advanced to associate professor and then full professor by 1967. During this time, Nathans continued his research on bacteriophage replication and gene localization in DNA and RNA molecules.
In the mid-1960s, Nathans began lecturing on animal viruses, which are similar to bacteriophages but infect animal cells. He focused on studying the simian virus 40 (SV40), which causes tumors in monkeys, and analyzed the localization and functioning of its genes. His research helped develop the first detailed genetic map of SV40 DNA, including replication initiation sites. Nathans and his colleagues were the first to use restriction enzymes to cleave and analyze DNA molecules, creating a map of their cleavage sites. They also identified the nucleotide matrix for messenger RNA and the location of genes that encode viral coat proteins. These methods for analyzing genetic structures were later used to map more complex DNA molecules and develop recombinant DNA techniques for producing medical compounds like insulin and growth hormones.
Nobel Prize and Later Career
Nathans shared the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Arber and Hamilton O. Smith for their "discovery of restriction enzymes and their application to problems of molecular genetics." Following his groundbreaking contributions, Nathans continued his research and teaching career. He became a professor of molecular biology and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a senior investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the National Academy of Sciences Molecular Biology Award in 1976. Nathans married Joan Combeng in 1956, and they had three sons. He expressed his excitement for his research and his belief in the potential of his talented students.
Nathans' work revolutionized the field of molecular genetics and laid the foundation for further advancements. His discoveries and techniques continue to be instrumental in understanding the genetic mechanisms that govern the growth, development, and specialized functions of living organisms, including humans.
