Michael F. Shaughnessy
Eastern New Mexico University, School of Education, Portales, New Mexico, US

Series: Biochemistry Research Trends
BISAC: SCI007000
DOI: 10.52305/TGMI7289

The book Biochemistry and Biochemists: Who Were They and What did they Discover is an series of twenty five reviews regarding the top twenty five biochemists of the last two hundred years. The book chronicles the work and discoveries of research scientists from various parts of the world (Severo Ochoa of Spain, John Earnest Walker of Great Britain, Luis Leloir of France, Jens Skou of Denmark as well Masayusa Nomura of Japan). Some of these biochemists did foundational work (Albert Szent-Gyorgy in the realm of vitamin C ) and others did exemplary work into some of the most important realms of their time ( such as Dorothy Hodgkin and her explorations into the structures of penicillin and insulin ). Enzyme kinetics was explored and researched by Maud Menten and Leonor Michaelis.

The lives and explorations of these individuals as well as relevant anecdotes regarding their lives are explored in this book. For example, Jakub Karos Parnas, a well known scholar and researcher died in the famous Lyubyanka Prison in Moscow, although the exact cause of his death may never be known. Luis Leloir was born in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and went on to achieve greatness and crucial insights in sugar metabolism and glycogen biosynthesis.

Some of these researchers investigated things as simple as water ( and their transporation into and out of cells ) and others offered such profound ideas such as Albert Kluyver and his comments that “all organisms do biochemistry”.

In a sense, all students of biochemistry as well as chemistry would do well to learn about these biochemists, their discoveries and a bit about their lives- as many led many challenging lives- such as escaping from the Germans in World War II. Each of the biochemists here in this text had something to offer the realm of science and many were rewarded with the highest honor imaginable- the Nobel Prize- and some of them succeeded in their chosen field of endeavor- even though they may have failed Anatomy and Physiology four times!

Investigations into DNA, ATP and these realms also are highlighted in this book as these fundamental concepts are obviously of critical importance in the realm of biochemistry.

This book is first a serious exploration into the discoveries of these biochemists while at the same time an interesting examination of the lives, and loves and trials and tribulations of these biochemists who literally changed the face of biochemistry over the years.