Harry Steenbock

Harry Steenbock

Harry Steenbock (16 August 1886, Charlestown, Wisconsin25 December 1967, Madison, Wisconsin) was a distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Vitamin D

In 1923, Harry Steenbock demonstrated that irradiation by ultraviolet light increased the vitamin D content of foods and other organic materials.cite book | last = Mowery | first = David C. | title = Ivory Tower and Industrial Innovation| publisher = Stanford University Press | date = 2004| location = | pages = 39-40 | url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sCscGlm2Q8YC&pg=PA39&dq=%22Harry+Steenbock%22+Wisconsin&lr=&sig=Qp9Ec2hO5oYAFt1NvEXd9M4nuA4#PPA39,M1| isbn = 0804749205] After irradiating rodent food, Steenbock discovered that the rodents were cured of rickets. It is now known that Vitamin D deficiency is a cause of rickets.

Using $300 of his own money, Steenbock patented his invention. Steenbock's irradiation technique was used for food stuffs, but most memorably for milk. [cite book | last = Marshall | first = James | title = Elbridge A. Stuart Founder of the Carnation Company | publisher = Kessinger Publishing | date = 2005 | pages = 235 | url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ThSmmgJfJ6kC&pg=PA235&dq=Harry+Steenbock+vitamin+d&as_brr=3&sig=easNHcSg6shlNR0QH6xsrDv5vYA| isbn = 1417988835] By the expiration of the patent in 1945, rickets had all but been eliminated.

WARF

After receiving his patent, the Quaker Oats company offered $1 million (approximately $10 million dollars today) for Steenbock's Vitamin D technology. Steenbock thought twice about the offer. Instead of quickly selling his rights to a commercial company, Steenbock believed the money should be returned to the university.

After soliciting interest from nine other University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni, Steenbock was influential in starting the first university technology transfer office, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). WARF's initial operating budget was $900, one hundred dollars from each of the nine alumni.

On February 19 1927, WARF completed its first licensing agreement with the Quaker Oats company. The license permitted Quaker Oats to fortify its breakfast cereals with Vitamin D. WARF went onto license the technology to pharmaceutical companies for a medical application, which was known as Viosterol.

References

ee also

* Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
* Vitamin D
* Rickets

External links

* [http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/reprint/133/4/61E.pdf Biography in the Journal of Nutrition]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Harry Steenbock — Harry Steenbock. Harry Steenbock (* 16. August 1886 in Charlestown, Wisconsin; † 25. Dezember 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin) war ein US amerikanischer Biochemiker. Steenbock war ab 1920 Professor an der University of Wisconsin Madison …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Steenbock — Harry Steenbock. Harry Steenbock (* 16. August 1886 in Charlestown, Wisconsin; † 25. Dezember 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin) war ein US amerikanischer Biochemiker. Steenbock war ab 1920 Professor an der University of Wisconsi …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Steenbock —   [ stiːnbɔk], Harry, amerikanischer Biochemiker, * Charlestown (Wisconsin) 16. 8. 1886, ✝ Madison (Wisconsin) 25. 12. 1967; ab 1920 Professor in Madison; arbeitete v. a. über fettlösliche Vitamine und entdeckte, dass der Vitamin D Gehalt der… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Steenbock — Harry, U.S. physiologist and chemist, 1886–1967. See S. unit …   Medical dictionary

  • Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation — The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is the nonprofit technology transfer office of the University of Wisconsin Madison. It is a significant source of research support, independent of federal grants. It currently contributes about $45 million …   Wikipedia

  • Edwin B. Hart — (1874 1953) was an American biochemist.A native of Michigan, Hart studied physiological chemistry under Albrecht Kossel (1910 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine) in Germany, and also studied at the University of Marzburg and University of… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Biografien/Stee — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • List of University of Wisconsin-Madison people — Notable alumni= Nobel Laureates*Herbert Spencer Gasser, B.S. 1910, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1944 *John Bardeen, B.S. 1928 and M.S. 1929, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1956 and 1972 *Edward Lawrie… …   Wikipedia

  • MEDICINE — From the beginning of their history until modern times Jews have exercised a tremendous influence on the development of medical science. They have always been solicitous in their care for the sick and held the medical profession in great esteem.… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • List of people from Wisconsin — This is a list of prominent people from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Place of birth is in parenthesis.Military* Richard Bong (1920–1945), World War II pilot (born in Superior) * John Bradley (1923–1994), Iwo Jima flag raiser (born in Antigo) *… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”