- Paul Karrer
Infobox Scientist
name = Paul Karrer
image_size = 180px
birth_date =April 21 ,1889
birth_place =Moscow ,Russia
death_date =June 18 ,1971
death_place =Zürich ,Switzerland
nationality =Switzerland
field =Chemistry
work_places =
alma_mater =
doctoral_advisor =
doctoral_students =
known_for =vitamin
prizes =Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1937)Paul Karrer (
April 21 ,1889 –June 18 ,1971 ) was aSwiss organic chemist best known for his work onvitamin s. He andWalter Haworth won theNobel Prize for Chemistry in 1937.Biography
Early life
Karrer was born in
Moscow ,Russia to Paul Karrer and Julie Lerch, both Swiss nationals. In 1892 Karrer's family returned toSwitzerland where he was educated atWildegg and at thegrammar school inLenzburg ,Aarau , where he matriculated in 1908. He studiedchemistry at theUniversity of Zurich underAlfred Werner and after gaining his Ph.D. in 1911, he spent a further year as assistant in the Chemical Institute. He then took a post as chemist withPaul Ehrlich at theGeorg Speyer Haus ,Frankfurt-am-Main . In 1919 he became Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Chemical Institute.Research
Karrer's early research concerned complex metal compounds but his most important work has concerned
plant pigment s, particularly the yellowcarotenoid s. He elucidated their chemical structure showed that some of these substances are transformed in the body intovitamin A . His work led to the establishment of the correct constitutional formula forbeta-carotene , the chief precursor of vitamin A; the first time that the structure of a vitamin or provitamin had been established.George Wald worked briefly in Karrer's lab while studying the role of vitamin A in theretina . Later, Karrer confirmed the structure ofascorbic acid (vitamin C) and extended his researches into the vitamin B2 and E. His important contributions to the chemistry of theflavin s led to identification oflactoflavin as part of the complex originally thought to bevitamin B 2.He published very many papers, and received many honours and awards, including the
Nobel Prize in 1937. His textbook "Lehrbuch der Organischen Chemie (Textbook of Organic Chemistry)" was published in 1927, went through thirteen editions, and was published in seven languages.Personal life
He was married, with two sons. He died
June 18 ,1971 .References
*Citation | id=
PMID :10761480 | url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10761480 | last=Shampo | first=M A | last2=Kyle | first2=R A | publication-date=2000 Apr | year=2000 | title=Paul Karrer--research on vitamins | volume=75 | issue=4 | periodical=Mayo Clin. Proc. | pages=328
*Citation | id=PMID :11615740 | url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11615740 | last=Isler | first=O | publication-date=1978 | year=1978 | title=Paul Karrer, 21 April 1889--18 June 1971 | volume=24 | issue= | periodical=Biographical memoirs of fellows of the Royal Society. Royal Society (Great Britain) | pages=245–321
*Citation | id=PMID :4566692 | url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4566692 | last=Schmid | first=H | publication-date=1972 Sep | year=1972 | title= [Paul Karrer, 1889-1971] | volume=28 | issue=5 | periodical=Bulletin der Schweizerischen Akademie der Medizinischen Wissenschaften | pages=367–70
*Citation | id=PMID :4565808 | url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4565808 | last=Roche | first=J | publication-date=1972 Feb 1 | year=1972 | title= [Paul Karrer (1889-1971)] | volume=156 | issue=4 | periodical=Bull. Acad. Natl. Med. | pages=89–92
*Citation | id=PMID :13115412 | url= http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13115412 | last=KARRER | first=P | last2=VISCONTINI | first2=M | last3=HOCHREUTER | first3=R | publication-date= | year= | title= [Crystallized 3-carboxamide-N1-D-ribosidopyridinium bromide and related compounds.] | volume=12 | issue=1-2 | periodical=Biochim. Biophys. Acta | pages=51–5External links
* [http://nobelprize.org/chemistry/laureates/1937/karrer-bio.html Nobel Prize biography]
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