C. B. van Niel

C. B. van Niel
Cornelius Bernardus van Niel
Born November 4, 1897(1897-11-04)
Haarlem
Died March 10, 1985(1985-03-10) (aged 87)
Carmel, California
Nationality USA
Fields Microbiology
Institutions Hopkins Marine Station
Alma mater TU Delft
Known for Chemistry of photosynthesis
Notable awards National Medal of Science (1963)
Leeuwenhoek Medal (1970)

Cornelis Bernardus (Kees) van Niel (November 4, 1897, Haarlem – March 10, 1985, Carmel, California) was a Dutch-American microbiologist. He introduced the study of general microbiology to the United States and made key discoveries explaining the chemistry of photosynthesis.

In 1923, Cornelis van Niel married Christina van Hemert, graduated in chemical engineering at Delft University and became an assistant to Albert Jan Kluyver, who had initiated the field of comparative biochemistry. In 1928 he wrote his PhD dissertation ('The Propionic Acid Bacteria') after which he left for the United States to continue his work at the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University.

By studying purple sulfur bacteria and green sulfur bacteria he was the first scientist to demonstrate that photosynthesis is a light-dependent redox reaction, in which hydrogen from an oxidizable compound reduces carbon dioxide to cellular materials. Expressed as:

2 H2A + CO2 → 2A + CH2O + H2O

His discovery predicted that H2O is the hydrogen donor in green plant photosynthesis and is oxidized to O2. The chemical summation of photosynthesis was a milestone in the understanding of the chemistry of photosynthesis. This was later shown to be by Robert Hill.

Esther Lederberg was one of C. B. van Niel's accomplished students, as was Allan Campbell.[1] For one of Esther Lederberg's interesting anecdotes about C. B. van Niel, see http://www.EstherLederberg.com/Anecdotes.html#HMSFRIENDS. [2]

In 1961, Van Niel in collaboration with R.Y. Stanier defined prokaryotes as cells in which the nuclear material is not surrounded by a nuclear membrane, a definition that is still used to date. He received the American National Medal of Science in 1963.

Footnotes

External links



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cornelis Bernardus van Niel — (* 4. November 1897 in Haarlem; † 10. März 1985 in Carmel, Kalifornien) war ein niederländisch US amerikanischer Mikrobiologe. Nach seinem Studium des Chemieingenieurwesens an der Technischen Universität Delft wurde er Assistent von Albert Jan… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Cornelis Bernardus Van Niel — Cornelis B. Van Niel Cornelis Bernardus van Niel Naissance 4 novembre 1879 Haarlem ( Pays Bas) Décès 10  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cornelis Bernardus van Niel — Cornelis B. Van Niel Cornelis Bernardus van Niel Naissance 4 novembre 1879 Haarlem ( Pays Bas) Décès 10  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cornelis B. Van Niel — Cornelis Bernardus van Niel Naissance 4 novembre 1879 Haarlem ( Pays Bas) Décès 10 mars 1985 Carmel, Californie ( …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cornelius Van Niel — Infobox Scientist name = Cornelius Bernardus van Niel image width = caption = EM Lederberg with CB van Niel, HMS 1945 birth date = birth date|1897|11|4|mf=y birth place = Haarlem death date = death date and age|1985|3|10|1897|11|4|mf=y death… …   Wikipedia

  • Cornelis van Niel — Cornelis Bernardus van Niel (* 4. November 1897 in Haarlem; † 10. März 1985 in Carmel, Kalifornien) war ein niederländisch US amerikanischer Mikrobiologe. Nach seinem Studium des Chemieingenieurwesens an der Technischen Universität Delft wurde er …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Cornelius Van Niel — Cornelis Bernardus van Niel (* 4. November 1897 in Haarlem; † 10. März 1985 in Carmel, Kalifornien) war ein niederländisch US amerikanischer Mikrobiologe. Nach seinem Studium des Chemieingenieurwesens an der Technischen Universität Delft wurde er …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Cornelis Van Niel — Cornelis B. Van Niel Cornelis Bernardus van Niel Naissance 4 novembre 1879 Haarlem ( Pays Bas) Décès 10  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cornelis van Niel — Cornelis B. Van Niel Cornelis Bernardus van Niel Naissance 4 novembre 1879 Haarlem ( Pays Bas) Décès 10  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Niel — steht für: Niel (Belgien), eine belgische Gemeinde Niel (Kranenburg), einen Ortsteil von Kranenburg in Nordrhein Westfalen Niel ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Adolphe Niel (1802–1869), französischer Marschall und Kriegsminister Cornelis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

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