Facets

1563 –1564

#1093

Opuscula anatomica.

Eustachius is credited with several anatomical discoveries, among them the tensor tympani muscle and the Eustachian tube, published in his chapter entitled De auditus organis. In the last respect, however, he was anti…

1590

#2244

Historia natural y moral de las Indias.

One of the earliest detailed and realistic descriptions of the New World. Acosta hypothesized that the indigenous peoples of Latin America had migrated from Asia. He also divided the native peoples into three barbaria…

1882 –1883

#702

Zur Chemie des Zellkerns.

Among the many important contributions of Kossel was his study of the chemistry of the cell and cell-nucleus. Kossel correctly concluded that the function of nuclein is neither to act as a storage substance nor to fur…

1884

#14278

Recherches sur la conductibilité galvanique des electrolytes. 1 & 2.

Arrhenius first published the theory of electrolytic dissociation in his doctoral thesis of 1884. In 1903 he received the Nobel Prize in chemistry "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered to the a…

1885

#706

Lois d’équilibre chimique dans l’état dilué, gazeux ou dissous.

Van’t Hoff stated that osmotic pressure is proportional to the concentration if the temperature remains invariable, and proportional to the absolute temperature if the concentration remains invariable. In 1901 Van't H…

1895

#14310

Argon, a new constituent of the atmosphere.

Discovery of argon, the first discovery of an inert gas. In 1904 Ramsay was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air, and his determina…

1897

#719.1

Alkoholische Gärung ohne Hefezellen.

Discovery of cell-free fermentation, the turning point in the study of enzymes. In 1907 Buchner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his biochemical researches and his discovery of cell-free fermentation."

1898

#2003

Sur une substance nouvelle radio-active, contenue dans la pechblende.

The Curies, studying the radioactivity of minerals containing uranium and thorium, isolated from pitchblend a substance which they called radium and which they showed to possess an astonishing degree of radioactivity.…

1912

#6917

Interferenz-Erscheinungen bei Röntgenstrahlen. . . . Eine quantitative Prüfung der Theorie für die Interferenz-Erscheinungen bei Röntgenstrahlen

Discovery of the diffraction of X-rays in crystals. Laue’s discovery was of dual importance: it allowed the subsequent investigation of X-radiation by means of wavelength determination, and it provided the means for t…

1923

#9333

The absorption and translocation of lead by plants: A contribution to the application of the method of radioactive indicators in the investigation of the change of substance in plants.

The first application of radioactive tracers in biological studies. Digital facsimile from PubMedCentral at this link. Hevesy received the 1943 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his work on the use of isotopes as tracers …

1926

#14025

The isolation and crystallization of the enzyme urease.

Sumner first isolated and crystallized an enzyme (urease) and proved that enzymes are proteins. One month after publication of the above paper Sumner reinforced his discovery by recrystalizing urease, publishing a fol…

1929

#969

Ueberden Absorptionsspektrum des Atmungsferments.

Warburg discovered the nature and function of the respiratory ferment. In 1931 Warburg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for discovery of the nature and mode of action of the respiratory enzyme."

1930

#1038.1

Crystalline pepsin.

Crystallization of pepsin and its identity as a protein. In 1946 Northrop shared half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Wendell Meredith Stanley "for their preparation of enzymes and virus proteins in a pure form."…

1930

#12830

The moving boundary method of studying the electrophoresis of proteins. (Nova Acta Reg. Soc. Scient. Upsaliensis, IV, 7, No. 4.)

Tilesius's doctoral dissertation introduced the laboratory technique of moving-boundary electrophoresis, a technique for separation of chemical compounds by electrophoresis in free solution. For this work, and the wor…

1931

#1195

Ueber die chemische Untersuchung der Sexualhormone.

The male sex hormone, androsterone, was isolated in crystalline form by Butenandt. In 1939 Butenandt received half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his work on sex hormones." The other half was awarded to Leopold …

1931

#14238

Zur Kenntnis des Vitamins-A aus Fischtranen.

In 1930 Karrer established the correct formula for carotene (the chief precursor of vitamin A), the first demonstration of the chemical structure of a vitamin. Shortly thereafter, he was able to determine the formula …

1933

#14280

Synthesis of ascorbic acid.

Haworth and Hirst successfully synthesized vitamin C in the laboratory. This was the first vitamin to be artificially produced. Their breakthrough made it possible for vitamin C, or ascorbic acid as Haworth called it,…

1934

#9340

I. Un nouveau type de radioactivité. II. Séparation chimique des nouveaux radioéléments émetteur d’électrons positifs.

Discovery of artificially produced radionuclides or radioisotopes. In February 1934, the Joliot-Curies reported the first artificial production of radioactive material after discovering radioactivity in aluminum foil …

1935

#2524.5

Isolation of a crystalline protein possessing the properties of tobacco-mosaic virus.

Stanley first crystallized a virus— tobacco mosaic virus. The following year Bawden, Pirie, Bernal and Fankuchen (No. 12005) showed that tobacco mosaic virus molecules are asnisometric and consist of ribonucleoprotein…

1937

#751.1

Citric acid in intermediate metabolism in animal tissues.

Citric acid cycle (CAC) of aerobic carbohydrate metabolism (Krebs cycle). Three months after his initial publication on CAC Krebs published a supplementary paper aimed at the medical audience, rather than the biochemi…

1942

#14239

On the utilization of acetic acid for cholesterol formation.

See also, Rittenberg & Bloch, "The Utilization of Acetic Acid for the Synthesis of Fatty Acids," J. Biol. Chem. 160, 1945, 417-424. Bloch, "The Biological Conversion of Cholesterol to Pregnanediol," J. Biol. Chem. 157…

1945

#2659.4

The synchrotron: a proposed high energy particle accelerator.

In 1951 McMillan shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Glenn Theodore Seaborg "for their discoveries in the chemistry of the transuranium elements."

1945

#14284

Acetylation of sulfanilamide by liver homogenates and extracts.

Discovery of co-enzyme A and its importance for intermediary metabolism. This discovery illuminated “the process by which cells make available the energy to drive their manufacturing processes” (Judson, p. 245). In 19…

1946

#14317

Radioactive Element 94 from deuterons on uranium.

"This letter was received for publication on the date indicated (January 28, 1941), but was voluntarily withheld from publication until the end of the war." Seaborg and McMillan discovered element 94, which they named…

1947

#751.4

Enzymatic reactions in carbohydrate metabolism.

In 1947 Carl Cori and his wife Gerty Cori (1896-1957) shared the Nobel Prize (with Houssay) “for their discovery of the course of the catalytic conversion of glycogen.” They are more often remembered for the Cori cycl…

1951

#6846

The structure of proteins: Two hydrogen-bonded configurations of the polypeptide chain.

Pauling, his crystallographer R. B. Corey, and African-American physicist and chemist H.R. Branson announced the α-helix, a principal structural feature of proteins. Digital facsimile from the National Academy of Scie…

1952

#3108.2

Studies on condensed pyrimidine system. IX. The synthesis of some 6-substituted purines.

Synthesis of 6-mercaptopurine. In 1988 Gertrude Elion shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with George Hitchings and Sir James Black “for their discoveries of important principles for drug treatment.”

1953

#1175.3

The synthesis of an octapeptide amide with the hormonal activity of oxytocin.

Synthesis of oxytocin. With C. Ressler, J. M. Swan, C. W. Roberts, P. G. Katsoyannis, and S. Gordon. In 1955 Vigneaud was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his work on biochemically important sulphur compounds…

1955

#1207

The disulphide bonds of insulin.

Sanger sequenced the amino acids of insulin, the first of any protein. His work “revealed that a protein has a definite constant, genetically determined sequence—and yet a sequence with no general rule for its assembl…

1955

#6928

The crystal structure of the hexacarboxylic acid derived from B12 and the molecular structure of the vitamin.

The final structure of vitamin B12. With J. Pickworth, J.H. Robertson, K.N. Trueblood, R.J. Prosen, J. G. White. In 1964 Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for her determinations by X-ray techniques of …

1956

#752.4

Enzymic synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid.

In 1959 Kornberg shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Severo Ochoa "for their discovery of the mechanisms in the biological synthesis of ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid." Order of authorshi…

1957

#752.5

The nature and mode of action of oxidation enzymes. Nobel Lecture, December 12, 1955. In: Festschrift Arthur Stoll, pp. 35-47.

In 1955 Theorell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his discoveries relating to the nature and mode of action of oxidation enzymes."

1957

#7386

The path of carbon in photosynthesis.

Discovery of the Calvin cycle, also known as the Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) cycle, or reductive pentose phosphate cycle or C3 cycle — a series of biochemical redox reactions that take place in the stroma of chloropla…

1958

#752.6

Studies on polynucleotides. I. A new and general method for the chemical synthesis of the C5'-C3' intemucleotide linkage. Synthesis of deoxyribo-dinucleotides.

In 1968 Khorana shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with R. W. Holley and M. W. Nirenberg "for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis." H. G. Khorana, T. M. Jacob, …

1958

#6911

A three-dimensional model of the myoglobin molecule obtained by x-ray analysis.

Initial paper on the first solution of the three-dimensional molecular structure of a protein. Computing the molecular structure in 3 dimensions was possible through the use of the Cambridge EDSAC stored-program elect…

1960

#14240

β-Hydroxy-β-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase, cleavage and condensing enzymes in relation to cholesterol formation in rat liver.

In 1964 Feodor Lynen shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Konrad Bloch “for their discoveries concerning the mechanism and regulation of the cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism.” Order of authorship…

1960

#14283

Structure of haemoglobin: A three-dimensional Fourier synthesis at 5.5-A. resolution, obtained by X-ray analysis.

Solution of the structure of hemoglobin, a protein with 10,000 atoms. This was the culmination of 30 years of research by Perutz. Order of authorship in the original paper: Perutz, Rossmann, Culis, Muirhead, Will, Nor…

1960

#14306

The sequence of the amino acid residues in performic acid-oxidized ribonuclease.

In 1959 Moore and Stein announced the first determination of the complete amino acid sequence of an enzyme, ribonuclease. In 1972 Moore and Stein shared half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Christian B. Anfinsen …

1962

#13562

Extraction, purification and properties of Aequorin, a bioluminescent protein from the luminous hydromedusan, Aequorea.

Shimomura reported the discovery of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in a single footnote in this paper that was otherwise devoted to an entirely different bioluminescent protein: photoprotein aequorin. This may be the…

1963

#14305

The genetic control of tertiary protein structure studies with mode systems.

In 1972 Anfinsen shared half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Stanford Moore and William H. Stein for "for his work on ribonuclease, especially concerning the connection between the amino acid sequence and biologi…

1965

#14311

Enzymatic basis for the active transport of sodium and potassium across the cell membrane.

Skou discovered that the active transport of sodium and potassium is carried out in the cell membrane by an enzyme that serves as a sodium and potassium "pump," that catalyzes ATP hydrolysis. He named the enzyme "sodi…

1968

#752.7

Cyclic AMP.

Sutherland elucidated the role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, the second messenger mediating actions in a wide range of hormonal effects. In 1971 Sutherland was awarded the Nobel Prize in in Physiology or Medicine…

1968

#13935

Reconstruction of three-dimensional structures from electron micrographs.

Klug and deRosier invented methods for two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital image processing of electron microscope images. The latter method provided the theory behind the development of computed tomography …

1972

#257.3

Biochemical method for inserting new genetic information into DNA of simian virus 40: Circular SV40 DNA molecules containing Lambda phage genes and the galactose operon of Escherichia coli.

First recombinant DNA molecules generated. Digital facsimile from PubMedCentral at this link. In 1980 Berg was awarded half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic a…

1973

#14241

Regulation of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase activity in human fibroblasts by lipoproteins.

Goldstein and Brown discovered that human cells have low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors that remove cholesterol from the blood and that when LDL receptors are not present in sufficient numbers, individuals develo…

1974

#14315

"Conformational Coupling in Biological Energy Transductions." In L. Ernster et al. (eds.), Dynamics of Energy-Transducing Membranes, pp. 289-301.

In 1997 Boyer shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with John Walker and Jens C. Skou “for their elucidation of the enzymatic mechanism underlying the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).” The Nobel Prize committe…

1975

#14182

Three-dimensional model of purple membrane obtained by electron microscopy.

The invention of Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The novel technique was achieved by "by applying the method to tilted specimens, and using the principles put forward by De Rosier and Klug (GM - 13935), for t…

1977

#6883

DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors.

Sanger and colleagues developed methods for rapid sequencing of long sections of DNA molecules. Sanger’s method, and that developed by Gilbert and Maxam, made it possible to read the nucleotide sequence for entire gen…

1977

#6926

A new method for sequencing DNA.

The Gilbert-Maxam method for sequencing DNA. This paper is available from PNAS at this link. In 1980 Gilbert shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Frederick Sanger and Paul Berg. Berg received half of the priz…

1978

#13986

Mutagenesis at a specific position in a DNA sequence.

Smith and Hutchison introduced site-directed mutagenesis, or oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis, into molecular biology, resolving the problem of how to determine the effect of a single mutant gene with efficiency. …