Fu-Kuen Lin
Encyclopedia
Fu-Kuen Lin is an award winning fungi physiologist, nephrologist and hemotologist.
Lin received his B.S. from National Taiwan University in 1964 and M.S. in plant pathology
in 1967. That year, he moved to the United States to study fungi physiology under Professor David Gottlieb
, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
. Lin was awarded a doctorate in plant pathology in 1971. He held postdoctoral and visiting scientist positions at several institutions between 1971 and 1981. He was an associate research fellow at the Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica in Taiwan from 1975–1977 and an adjunct associate professor at the National Taiwan University from 1976-1977.
Fu-Kuen Lin joined Amgen
, a biotech company as a research scientist in August 1981. He was involved with Amgen’s recombinant human erythropoietin
project from the start, and was soon leading the team, which was developing EPO based on a small sample of the hormone that had been isolated by a team led by Eugene Goldwasser
as the University of Chicago
. In 1983 his team successfully established the gene
coding for it and recombinant human erythropoietin was approved by the US
FDA
in June 1989 with the generic name epoetin alpha, tradename Epogen.
Lin was also engaged in developing novel pharmaceutics and studying their molecular mechanisms. His primary research interests were in the fields of hematology, hypertension, immune regulation and fungi physiology. He retired from Amgen as the Director of the Department of Biomedical Sciences in 1998. Lin is the inventor of seven US patents covering “DNA Sequences Encoding Erythropoietin” and “Production of Erythropoietin”. Among other honors, he is a recipient of the “1989 Technology Corridor 100” Award; the 1990 “Quality of Life” Award; the “1995 Discoverers Award” (by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America); and the Committee of 100, Pioneer Recognition Award in May 2002.
Lin received his B.S. from National Taiwan University in 1964 and M.S. in plant pathology
Phytopathology
Plant pathology is the scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens and environmental conditions . Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like organisms, phytoplasmas, protozoa, nematodes and parasitic plants...
in 1967. That year, he moved to the United States to study fungi physiology under Professor David Gottlieb
David Gottlieb
David Gottlieb , a professor of plant pathology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , was a pioneer in the field of fungi physiology and antibiotics for plants....
, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
. Lin was awarded a doctorate in plant pathology in 1971. He held postdoctoral and visiting scientist positions at several institutions between 1971 and 1981. He was an associate research fellow at the Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica in Taiwan from 1975–1977 and an adjunct associate professor at the National Taiwan University from 1976-1977.
Fu-Kuen Lin joined Amgen
Amgen
Amgen Inc. is an international biotechnology company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Located in the Conejo Valley, Amgen is the world's largest independent biotech firm. The company employs approximately 17,000 staff members. Its products include Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret,...
, a biotech company as a research scientist in August 1981. He was involved with Amgen’s recombinant human erythropoietin
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
project from the start, and was soon leading the team, which was developing EPO based on a small sample of the hormone that had been isolated by a team led by Eugene Goldwasser
Eugene Goldwasser
Eugene Goldwasser was an American biochemist at the University of Chicago who identified erythropoietin , a hormone that plays a vital role in the synthesis of red blood cells...
as the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. In 1983 his team successfully established the gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
coding for it and recombinant human erythropoietin was approved by the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
FDA
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
in June 1989 with the generic name epoetin alpha, tradename Epogen.
Lin was also engaged in developing novel pharmaceutics and studying their molecular mechanisms. His primary research interests were in the fields of hematology, hypertension, immune regulation and fungi physiology. He retired from Amgen as the Director of the Department of Biomedical Sciences in 1998. Lin is the inventor of seven US patents covering “DNA Sequences Encoding Erythropoietin” and “Production of Erythropoietin”. Among other honors, he is a recipient of the “1989 Technology Corridor 100” Award; the 1990 “Quality of Life” Award; the “1995 Discoverers Award” (by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America); and the Committee of 100, Pioneer Recognition Award in May 2002.
Selected works
- Lin F. (1984), DNA sequences encoding erythropoietin., US-Patent 4,703,008 (November 30, 1984).
- Lin F. et al. (1985) "Cloning and expression of the human erythropoietin gene" Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 82: 7580-7584.