John Tileston Edsall

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"John Edsall" redirects here. For the 19th-century sailor's autobiography, see Incidents in the Life of John Edsall.
John Tileston Edsall
Born(1902-11-03)November 3, 1902
Philadelphia
DiedJune 12, 2002(2002-06-12) (aged 99)
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Education
Protein chemistry
InstitutionsHarvard University

John Tileston Edsall (3 November 1902 – 12 June 2002) was a protein scientist, who contributed significantly to the understanding of the

hydrophobic interaction. He was an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,[1] the United States National Academy of Sciences,[2] and the American Philosophical Society.[3]

Early life

Born in Philadelphia, John Edsall moved to Boston with his family at the age of 10. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in chemistry. At Harvard he was a good friend of the physicist

Robert Oppenheimer.[4] He wrote an account of his life and career in a review.[5]

Protein research

Edsall worked with Edwin Cohn during World War II to apply protein methods to blood fractionation.[6] Subsequently, in 1943, they published a book Proteins, Amino Acids and Peptides.[7] This had a profound influence on the next generation of protein scientists. Long afterwards Edsall wrote an account of his interaction with Cohn.[8]

He published numerous papers on protein chemistry, including work on myosin,[9] fibrinogen,[10] light scattering,[11] measurement of tyrosine groups by ultraviolet spectroscopy,[12] and carbonic anhydrase.[13]

Advances in Protein Chemistry

In 1944 John Edsall was a founding co-editor of the journal Advances in Protein Chemistry. He was invited by the publisher Kurt Jacoby and the founding editor Tim Anson, whom he had met in 1924 in Cambridge (although they were both undergraduates at Harvard University at nearly the same time). He remained series editor up to volume 47 (1995).

The Journal of Biological Chemistry

From 1958 to 1967 Edsall was chief editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, years that Irving Klotz described in the following terms:[14]

These years cover the period of the transition from a stodgy classical journal to a modern exciting one, reflecting the rise of molecular biological approaches.

At his retirement from the editorship Konrad Bloch published a tribute to him in the Journal.[15]

Teaching and students

He was professor at the Harvard University. He inspired medical student Alexander Rich to pursue an academic career.[16]

Historical interests

Edsall was active in preserving the history of protein science.[17]

Personal history

John T. Edsall married Margaret Dunham of Scarsdale, NY, May 1, 1929, in Scarsdale. They had three sons: James Lawrence Dunham Edsall (known always as Lawrence), June 6, 1930 - July 8, 1978; David T. Edsall, born 1933, and Nicholas C. Edsall, born 1936. Margaret D. Edsall was born in New York, NY, June 9, 1902, and died May 19, 1987. They lived most of their married life in Cambridge, MA.

References

  1. ^ "John Tileston Edsall". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  2. ^ "John T. Edsall". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  3. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  4. ISBN 9780375412028
    .
  5. PMID 4941235
    .
  6. doi:10.1039/df9490600070
    .
  7. ^ Cohn, E.J.; Edsall, J.T. (1943). Proteins, Amino Acids and Peptides as Ions and Dipolar Ions. New York: Reinhold.
  8. doi:10.1016/0968-0004(81)90120-1
    .
  9. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(18)73320-6
    .
  10. PMID 18882550
    .
  11. PMID 14846694
    .
  12. PMID 13610852
    .
  13. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(18)91392-X
    .
  14. PMID 12646346
    .
  15. ^ "A tribute to John T. Edsall. Editor 1958-1967". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 243: 1333–1336. 1968.
  16. ^ "Alexander Rich, the importance of RNA and the development of nucleic acid hybridization". MIT Department of Biology. 2018-05-31. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  17. S2CID 35743564
    .

External links
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