Carl Djerassi
Encyclopedia
Carl Djerassi is an Austrian-American
chemist
, novelist, and playwright
best known for his contribution to the development of the first oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Djerassi is emeritus professor of chemistry at Stanford University
.
He participated in the invention in 1951, together with Mexican Luis E. Miramontes
and Hungarian George Rosenkranz
, of the progestin
norethindrone—which, unlike progesterone
, remained effective when taken orally and was far stronger than the naturally occurring hormone
. His preparation was first administered as an oral contraceptive to animals by Gregory Pincus and Min Chueh Chang
and to women by John Rock
. Djerassi remarked that he did not have birth control in mind when he began working with progesterone—"not in our wildest dreams… did we imagine (it)".
He is also the author of several novels in the "science-in-fiction" genre, including Cantor's Dilemma, in which he explores the ethics
of modern scientific
research through his protagonist, Dr. Cantor.
Djerassi hailed from a Jewish family, as the son of Alice Friedmann, an Ashkenazi Viennese Jew
with roots in Galicia, and Samuel Djerassi, a Bulgarian Sephardic Jew
. Following his parents' divorce, Djerassi and his mother moved to Vienna to take advantage of the better school system. Until age fourteen, he attended the same realgymnasium that Sigmund Freud had attended many years earlier; he spent summers in Bulgaria with his father. After the Anschluss
, his father briefly remarried his mother in 1938 to allow Carl to escape the Nazi regime and flee to Bulgaria, where he lived with his father for a year. Djerassi's father was a physician who specialized in treating syphilis
with the existing arsenical drugs. His successful practice in Sofia was limited to a few wealthy patients, whose treatment lasted for years. A few years later, Djerassi arrived with his mother in the United States, nearly penniless—they had only $20 between them, which was swindled from them by a cab driver. Djerassi's mother worked in a group practice in upstate New York
. In 1949 his father emigrated to the United States and eventually settled near his son in San Francisco.
Djerassi briefly attended Tarkio College, now defunct, then studied chemistry at Kenyon College
, which is famous for literary criticism
and the Kenyon Review but not known for chemistry. He graduated summa cum laude, then got his Ph.D.
at the University of Wisconsin. He worked for CIBA in New Jersey, developing Pyribenzamine (tripelenamine), his first patent and the first commercial antihistamine
.
In 1949 Djerassi became associate director of research at Syntex
in Mexico City, and remained there through 1951. He worked on a new synthesis of cortisone based on diosgenin, a steroid sapogenin derived from a Mexican wild yam. His team later synthesized norethindrone, a progestin-analogue that was effective when taken by mouth. This became part of the first successful oral contraceptive, the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP). COCPs became known colloquially as the birth-control pill, or simply, the Pill. From 1952-1959 he was a faculty member of Wayne State University
's Chemistry department in Detroit, MI.
In 1959 Djerassi became a professor of chemistry at Stanford University
and the president of Syntex Laboratories in Mexico City and Palo Alto, California. The Syntex connection made Djerassi a rich man. He bought a large tract of land in Woodside, California
, started a cattle ranch, and built up a large art collection. He started a new company, Zoecon, which focused on pest control
without insecticide
s, using modified insect growth hormones to stop insects from metamorphosing from the larval stage to the pupal and adult stages. He sold Zoecon to Occidental Petroleum
, which later sold it to Sandoz
. Part of Zoecon lingers in Dallas, Texas
, making products to control flea
s and other pests.
In 1977 he began a relationship with noted biographer and university professor Diane Middlebrook
, and in 1985 they were married. By 2002 she had decided to retire, to work full-time on her research, and she convinced Djerassi to also retire that year. He hung up his lab coat and became an emeritus professor. They divided their time between homes in San Francisco and London, until her death on 15 December 2007.
On July 5, 1978, Djerassi's daughter Pamela (from a previous marriage), an artist, committed suicide
. Djerassi considered how he could help living artists, rather than collecting dead ones. He donated his Klee collection
to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
, effective on his death. He visited existing artist colonies, such as Yaddo
and MacDowell
, and decided to create his own. He closed his cattle ranch, converted the barn and houses to residential and work space for artists, brought in a prize-winning chef, and moved to an office building that he had renovated in San Francisco, converting one floor into a posh apartment, where he displayed part of his art collection and hosted a literary salon, initially referred to as "SMIP" (Syntex Made it Possible).In 1992 he was awarded the Priestley Medal. Austria has issued a postage stamp with Djerassi's picture on it. The Austrian government also sent him a new Austrian passport. He was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Art and Science, First Class, in 1999.
of sexual reproduction
. He anticipated a far greater social impact on men than on women, in what he called as the feminization of men, implying the "social-feminization" of laws and social values in favor of women in society as a whole.
Indeed, Carl Djerassi also collaborated with Joshua Lederberg in creating an "expert system" in the area of Artificial Intelligence, which incurred some criticism. See also G. G. Simpson.
by President Nixon
for his work on the Pill. The award was somewhat ironic in that his name at the time was on the infamous "Nixon's enemies list
", which was compiled by Charles Colson and Nixon. He learned this from an article in the San Francisco Examiner, several months later.
In 1975 Djerassi was awarded the Perkin Medal
. In 1978 he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
. In 1991 he was awarded the National Medal of Technology
for "his broad technological contributions to solving environmental problems; and for his initiatives in developing novel, practical approaches to insect control products that are biodegradable and harmless." In 1992 he was awarded the Priestley Medal
.
Austria
has issued a postage stamp
with Djerassi's picture on it. The Austrian government also sent him a new Austrian passport
. He was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class, in 1999.
Djerassi is a member of the Board of Sponsors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
and is chairman of the Pharmanex Scientific Advisory Board.
Djerassi Glacier
on Brabant Island
in Antarctica is named after Carl Djerassi.
Djerassi was awarded the 2009 Alecrin Prize, in Vigo
, Spain.
He received the Edinburgh medal in 2011
.
Austrian-American
Austrian Americans are Americans of Austrian descent. According to the 2000 US census, there are 735,128, or 0.3% Americans of full or partial Austrian descent. The states with the largest Austrian American populations are New York , California , Pennsylvania , Florida and New Jersey...
chemist
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, novelist, and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
best known for his contribution to the development of the first oral contraceptive pill (OCP). Djerassi is emeritus professor of chemistry at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
He participated in the invention in 1951, together with Mexican Luis E. Miramontes
Luis E. Miramontes
Luis Ernesto Miramontes Cárdenas , was a Mexican chemist known as the co-inventor of the progestin used in one of the first two oral contraceptives....
and Hungarian George Rosenkranz
George Rosenkranz
George Rosenkranz is a Mexican scientist in steroid research and a professional bridge player. He was born in Hungary, educated in Switzerland and lived in Mexico for 66 years...
, of the progestin
Progestin
A progestin is a synthetic progestogen that has progestinic effects similar to progesterone. The two most common uses of progestins are for hormonal contraception , and to prevent endometrial hyperplasia from unopposed estrogen in hormone replacement therapy...
norethindrone—which, unlike progesterone
Progesterone
Progesterone also known as P4 is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and embryogenesis of humans and other species...
, remained effective when taken orally and was far stronger than the naturally occurring hormone
Hormone
A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...
. His preparation was first administered as an oral contraceptive to animals by Gregory Pincus and Min Chueh Chang
Min Chueh Chang
Dr. Min Chueh Chang , often credited as M.C. Chang, was a Chinese American reproductive biologist. His specific area of study was the fertilisation process in mammalian reproduction...
and to women by John Rock
John Rock (American scientist)
John Rock was an American obstetrician and gynecologist. He is best known for the major role he played in the development of the first hormonal contraceptive, colloquially called "the pill".-Early life and career:...
. Djerassi remarked that he did not have birth control in mind when he began working with progesterone—"not in our wildest dreams… did we imagine (it)".
He is also the author of several novels in the "science-in-fiction" genre, including Cantor's Dilemma, in which he explores the ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
of modern scientific
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
research through his protagonist, Dr. Cantor.
Life
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
with roots in Galicia, and Samuel Djerassi, a Bulgarian Sephardic Jew
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
. Following his parents' divorce, Djerassi and his mother moved to Vienna to take advantage of the better school system. Until age fourteen, he attended the same realgymnasium that Sigmund Freud had attended many years earlier; he spent summers in Bulgaria with his father. After the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
, his father briefly remarried his mother in 1938 to allow Carl to escape the Nazi regime and flee to Bulgaria, where he lived with his father for a year. Djerassi's father was a physician who specialized in treating syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
with the existing arsenical drugs. His successful practice in Sofia was limited to a few wealthy patients, whose treatment lasted for years. A few years later, Djerassi arrived with his mother in the United States, nearly penniless—they had only $20 between them, which was swindled from them by a cab driver. Djerassi's mother worked in a group practice in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 1949 his father emigrated to the United States and eventually settled near his son in San Francisco.
Djerassi briefly attended Tarkio College, now defunct, then studied chemistry at Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, which is famous for literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
and the Kenyon Review but not known for chemistry. He graduated summa cum laude, then got his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
at the University of Wisconsin. He worked for CIBA in New Jersey, developing Pyribenzamine (tripelenamine), his first patent and the first commercial antihistamine
Antihistamine
An H1 antagonist is a histamine antagonist of the H1 receptor that serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions...
.
In 1949 Djerassi became associate director of research at Syntex
Syntex
Laboratorios Syntex SA was a pharmaceutical company formed in Mexico City in 1944 by Russell Marker to manufacture therapeutic steroids from the Mexican yam....
in Mexico City, and remained there through 1951. He worked on a new synthesis of cortisone based on diosgenin, a steroid sapogenin derived from a Mexican wild yam. His team later synthesized norethindrone, a progestin-analogue that was effective when taken by mouth. This became part of the first successful oral contraceptive, the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP). COCPs became known colloquially as the birth-control pill, or simply, the Pill. From 1952-1959 he was a faculty member of Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
's Chemistry department in Detroit, MI.
In 1959 Djerassi became a professor of chemistry at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and the president of Syntex Laboratories in Mexico City and Palo Alto, California. The Syntex connection made Djerassi a rich man. He bought a large tract of land in Woodside, California
Woodside, California
Woodside is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It uses a council-manager system of government. The U.S. Census estimated the population of the town to be 5,287 in 2010....
, started a cattle ranch, and built up a large art collection. He started a new company, Zoecon, which focused on pest control
Pest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
without insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
s, using modified insect growth hormones to stop insects from metamorphosing from the larval stage to the pupal and adult stages. He sold Zoecon to Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is a California-based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America...
, which later sold it to Sandoz
Sandoz
Founded in 2003, Sandoz presently is the generic drug subsidiary of Novartis, a multinational pharmaceutical company. The company develops, manufactures and markets generic drugs as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnological active ingredients....
. Part of Zoecon lingers in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, making products to control flea
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
s and other pests.
In 1977 he began a relationship with noted biographer and university professor Diane Middlebrook
Diane Middlebrook
Diane Helen Wood Middlebrook was an American biographer, poet, and teacher. She taught feminist studies for many years at Stanford University. She is best known for critically acclaimed biographies of poets Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath , and jazz musician Billy Tipton...
, and in 1985 they were married. By 2002 she had decided to retire, to work full-time on her research, and she convinced Djerassi to also retire that year. He hung up his lab coat and became an emeritus professor. They divided their time between homes in San Francisco and London, until her death on 15 December 2007.
On July 5, 1978, Djerassi's daughter Pamela (from a previous marriage), an artist, committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Djerassi considered how he could help living artists, rather than collecting dead ones. He donated his Klee collection
Paul Klee
Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism...
to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
, effective on his death. He visited existing artist colonies, such as Yaddo
Yaddo
Yaddo is an artists' community located on a 400 acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment."...
and MacDowell
MacDowell Colony
The MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A., founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...
, and decided to create his own. He closed his cattle ranch, converted the barn and houses to residential and work space for artists, brought in a prize-winning chef, and moved to an office building that he had renovated in San Francisco, converting one floor into a posh apartment, where he displayed part of his art collection and hosted a literary salon, initially referred to as "SMIP" (Syntex Made it Possible).In 1992 he was awarded the Priestley Medal. Austria has issued a postage stamp with Djerassi's picture on it. The Austrian government also sent him a new Austrian passport. He was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Art and Science, First Class, in 1999.
Social impact of scientific work
Djerassi perceived the pill as having a huge impact on the social processes of women and men, which to a significant extent is influenced through the sociobiologySociobiology
Sociobiology is a field of scientific study which is based on the assumption that social behavior has resulted from evolution and attempts to explain and examine social behavior within that context. Often considered a branch of biology and sociology, it also draws from ethology, anthropology,...
of sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms. There are two main processes during sexual reproduction; they are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes; and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the...
. He anticipated a far greater social impact on men than on women, in what he called as the feminization of men, implying the "social-feminization" of laws and social values in favor of women in society as a whole.
Indeed, Carl Djerassi also collaborated with Joshua Lederberg in creating an "expert system" in the area of Artificial Intelligence, which incurred some criticism. See also G. G. Simpson.
Awards and honors
In 1973 Djerassi was awarded the National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
by President Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
for his work on the Pill. The award was somewhat ironic in that his name at the time was on the infamous "Nixon's enemies list
Master list of Nixon political opponents
A master list of Nixon political opponents was compiled to supplement the original Nixon's Enemies List of 20 key people considered opponents of President Richard Nixon. The master list was compiled by Charles Colson's office and sent in memorandum form to John Dean. Dean later provided this...
", which was compiled by Charles Colson and Nixon. He learned this from an article in the San Francisco Examiner, several months later.
In 1975 Djerassi was awarded the Perkin Medal
Perkin Medal
The Perkin Medal is an award given annually by the American section of the Society of Chemical Industry to a scientist residing in America for an "innovation in applied chemistry resulting in outstanding commercial development." It is considered the highest honor given in the US industrial chemical...
. In 1978 he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
. In 1991 he was awarded the National Medal of Technology
National Medal of Technology
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development of new and important technology...
for "his broad technological contributions to solving environmental problems; and for his initiatives in developing novel, practical approaches to insect control products that are biodegradable and harmless." In 1992 he was awarded the Priestley Medal
Priestley Medal
The Priestley Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society and is awarded for distinguished service in the field of chemistry. Established in 1922, the award is named after Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen who immigrated to the United States of America in 1794...
.
Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
has issued a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
with Djerassi's picture on it. The Austrian government also sent him a new Austrian passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
. He was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class, in 1999.
Djerassi is a member of the Board of Sponsors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is a nontechnical online magazine that covers global security and public policy issues, especially related to the dangers posed by nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction...
and is chairman of the Pharmanex Scientific Advisory Board.
Djerassi Glacier
Djerassi Glacier
Djerassi Glacier is a 6 km long and 7 km wide glacier situated southwest of Paré Glacier, northwest of Malpighi Glacier and north of Pirogov Glacier on Brabant Island in the Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica...
on Brabant Island
Brabant Island
Brabant Island is the second largest island of the Palmer Archipelago within the British Antarctic Territory, lying between Anvers Island and Liège Island. Brabant Island is located at . Brabant Island is long in a north-south direction, wide, and rises to in Mount Parry...
in Antarctica is named after Carl Djerassi.
Djerassi was awarded the 2009 Alecrin Prize, in Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
, Spain.
He received the Edinburgh medal in 2011
Non-fiction
- Optical Rotatory Dispersion, McGraw-Hill & Company, 1960.
- The Politics of Contraception, W H Freeman & Company, 1981, ISBN 0-7167-1342-X
- Steroids Made it Possible (Profiles, Pathways, and Dreams), American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
, 1990, ISBN 0-8412-1773-4 (autobiography) - The Pill, Pygmy Chimps, and Degas' Horse, Basic Books, 1992, ISBN 0-465-05758-6 (autobiography)
- From the Lab into The World: A Pill for People, Pets, and Bugs, American Chemical Society, 1994, ISBN 0-8412-2808-6
- Paul Klee: Masterpieces of the Djerassi Collection, (coeditor), Prestel Publishing, 2002, ISBN 3-7913-2779-8
- Dalla pillola alla penna, Di Renzo Editore, 2004, ISBN 8883230868
- This Man's Pill: Reflections on the 50th Birthday of the Pill , Oxford University Press, USA, 2004, ISBN 0-19-860695-8 (autobiography)
Fiction
- Futurist and Other Stories, Macdonald, 1989, ISBN 0-356-17500-6
- The Clock Runs Backwards, Story Line Press, 1991, ISBN 0-934257-75-2
- Marx, Deceased, University of Georgia Press, 1996, ISBN 0-8203-1835-3
Science-in-fiction
Djerassi describes some of his novels as "science-in-fiction" - fiction which portrays the lives of real scientists, with all their accomplishments, conflicts, and aspirations. The genre is also referred to as Lab litLab lit
Lab lit is a genre of fiction that centres on realistic portrayals of scientists, and science as a profession. Unlike science fiction, lab lit is typically set in the real world, rather than a speculative or future one. Lab lit novels may centre on the science directly, or include a scientific...
.
- Cantor's Dilemma, Penguin, 1989, ISBN 0-14-014359-9
- The Bourbaki Gambit, Penguin, 1994, ISBN 0-14-025485-4
- Menachem's Seed, Penguin, 1996, ISBN 0-14-027794-3
- NO, Penguin, 1998, ISBN 0-14-029654-9
Drama
- An Immaculate Misconception: Sex in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Imperial College Press, 2000, ISBN 1-86094-248-2 (adapted from the novel Menachem's Seed)
- L.A. Theatre Works, Audio Theatre Collection CD, 2004, ISBN 1-58081-286-4
- Oxygen, Wiley-VCH, (with Roald HoffmannRoald HoffmannRoald Hoffmann is an American theoretical chemist who won the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He currently teaches at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.-Escape from the Holocaust:...
, coauthor), 2001, ISBN 3-527-30413-4 - Newton's Darkness: Two Dramatic Views, (with David Pinner, coauthor), Imperial College Press, 2004, ISBN 1-86094-390-X
- Four Jews on Parnassus
External links
- Personal website
- Carl Djerassi telling his life story at Web of Stories
- Extended biography
- Djerassi Resident Artists Program
- http://www.chemistry.org.il/booklet/19/pdf/Bob_weintraub.pdf B. Pincus, Djerassi and Oral Contraceptives. Chemistry in Israel, Bulletin of the Israel Chemical Society. August 2005.]