Hans Kornberg
Encyclopedia
Professor Sir Hans Leo Kornberg, FRS (born 14 January 1928) is a British
biochemist
.
of Jewish parents. In 1939 he left Nazi Germany
(although his parents could not), and moved to the care of an uncle in Yorkshire
. Initially he went to a school for German refugees, but later to a private school and Wakefield
Grammar School
.
On leaving school he became a junior laboratory technician for Dr Hans Krebs
at the University of Sheffield
who encouraged him to study further and apply for a scholarship at the same university. He graduated with a BSc
Honours in Chemistry
in 1949. His interest had now moved to biochemistry
and he studied in the Faculty of Medicine
, receiving a PhD
degree in 1953 for a thesis entitled Studies on gastric urease
.
A Commonwealth Fund Exchange Fellowship of the Harkness Foundation enabled him to travel to the USA and work in several biochemistry laboratories. He then returned to the UK where his mentor Hans Krebs
had moved to Oxford University and offered him a post there. This partnership produced a paper in Nature
, concerning their discovery of the Glyoxylate cycle
, and also a joint book which was the first major publication on biological thermodynamics
.
In 1960 he was appointed to the first Chair in Biochemistry at the University of Leicester
, which he held until 1975 when he was elected to the Sir William Dunn Chair of Biochemistry
at the University of Cambridge
. In 1963 he was awarded the Colworth Medal
, the first person to receive it.
From 1982 to 1995 he was Master of Christ's College, Cambridge
.
In 1995 he left the Cambridge chair to take up a position as a Professor of Biology at Boston University
, USA, where he teaches biochemistry. His major research area is the nature and regulation of carbohydrate
transport in micro-organisms.
in 1965 and the same year awarded the Colworth Medal of The Biochemical Society
. In 1973 he was awarded the Warburg Medal of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In 1978 he was knighted for "services to science". He has been awarded 11 honorary doctorates and has been elected into membership of:
.
Professor Kornberg is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
.
He is a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering
.
He was editor of the Sheffield University Rag Magazine Twikker
in 1947.
He was President and a keen supporter of the Boat Club
while he was Master of Christ's College, Cambridge
: the Boat Club has one boat Sir Hans named after him, and another Lady K after his wife.
He has four children: Julia Cork (b.1957), Rachel Kornberg (b.1959), Dr.Jonathan Kornberg and Simon Kornberg (b.1960).
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
biochemist
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
.
Early Life, Education and Career
Kornberg was born in 1928 in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
of Jewish parents. In 1939 he left Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
(although his parents could not), and moved to the care of an uncle in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. Initially he went to a school for German refugees, but later to a private school and Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
Grammar School
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
.
On leaving school he became a junior laboratory technician for Dr Hans Krebs
Hans Adolf Krebs
Sir Hans Adolf Krebs was a German-born British physician and biochemist. Krebs is best known for his identification of two important metabolic cycles: the urea cycle and the citric acid cycle...
at the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
who encouraged him to study further and apply for a scholarship at the same university. He graduated with a BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
Honours in Chemistry
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....
in 1949. His interest had now moved to biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
and he studied in the Faculty of Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, receiving a PhD
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...
degree in 1953 for a thesis entitled Studies on gastric urease
Urease
Urease is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. The reaction occurs as follows:In 1926, James Sumner showed that urease is a protein. Urease is found in bacteria, yeast, and several higher plants. The structure of urease was first solved by P.A...
.
A Commonwealth Fund Exchange Fellowship of the Harkness Foundation enabled him to travel to the USA and work in several biochemistry laboratories. He then returned to the UK where his mentor Hans Krebs
Hans Adolf Krebs
Sir Hans Adolf Krebs was a German-born British physician and biochemist. Krebs is best known for his identification of two important metabolic cycles: the urea cycle and the citric acid cycle...
had moved to Oxford University and offered him a post there. This partnership produced a paper in Nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, concerning their discovery of the Glyoxylate cycle
Glyoxylate cycle
The glyoxylate cycle, a variation of the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle, is an anabolic metabolic pathway occurring in plants, bacteria, protists, fungi and several microorganisms, such as E. coli and yeast. The glyoxylate cycle centers on the conversion of acetyl-CoA to succinate for the synthesis of...
, and also a joint book which was the first major publication on biological thermodynamics
Biological thermodynamics
Biological thermodynamics is a phrase that is sometimes used to refer to bioenergetics, the study of energy transformation in the biological sciences...
.
In 1960 he was appointed to the first Chair in Biochemistry at the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
, which he held until 1975 when he was elected to the Sir William Dunn Chair of Biochemistry
Sir William Dunn Professor of Biochemistry
The Sir William Dunn Professorship of Biochemistry is the senior professorship in biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. The position was established in 1914 by the trustees of the will of Sir William Dunn, banker, merchant and philanthropist....
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. In 1963 he was awarded the Colworth Medal
Colworth Medal
The Colworth medal is awarded annually to a biochemist under the age of 35 and working mainly in the United Kingdom. The award was established by Professors Tony James and Henry Arnstein...
, the first person to receive it.
From 1982 to 1995 he was Master of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
.
In 1995 he left the Cambridge chair to take up a position as a Professor of Biology at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, USA, where he teaches biochemistry. His major research area is the nature and regulation of carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
transport in micro-organisms.
Honours and awards
He was elected to the Royal SocietyRoyal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1965 and the same year awarded the Colworth Medal of The Biochemical Society
Biochemical Society
The Biochemical Society is a learned society in the United Kingdom in the field of biochemistry, including all the cellular and molecular biosciences.-Structure:...
. In 1973 he was awarded the Warburg Medal of the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. In 1978 he was knighted for "services to science". He has been awarded 11 honorary doctorates and has been elected into membership of:
- The United States National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
- The German Academy of Sciences "Leopoldina"
- The Italian National Academy of Sciences "Lincei"Accademia dei LinceiThe Accademia dei Lincei, , is an Italian science academy, located at the Palazzo Corsini on the Via della Lungara in Rome, Italy....
- The American Philosophical SocietyAmerican Philosophical SocietyThe American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
- The American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
- The American Society of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology
- The Japanese Biochemical Society
- Phi Beta Kappa SocietyPhi Beta Kappa SocietyThe Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
Other information
While at Oxford, he also met and married his first wife, Monica King, a radiographer; she died in 1989. In 1991 he married Donna Haber. They live in Brookline, MassachusettsBrookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
.
Professor Kornberg is a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association
The British Humanist Association is an organisation of the United Kingdom which promotes Humanism and represents "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs." The BHA is committed to secularism, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism and mutual respect...
.
He is a member of the Advisory Council for the Campaign for Science and Engineering
Campaign for Science and Engineering
The Campaign for Science and Engineering is a non-profit organization which promotes science and engineering in the UK. It focuses on arguing for more research funding, promoting a high-tech and knowledge-based economy, highlighting the need for top-quality science and maths education at all...
.
He was editor of the Sheffield University Rag Magazine Twikker
Twikker
Twikker was the Rag Mag of Sheffield University Rag. The name is a corruption of The Wicker, a well-known street in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England crossed at one end by the Wicker Arches ....
in 1947.
He was President and a keen supporter of the Boat Club
Christ's College Boat Club
Christ's College Boat Club is the rowing club for members of Christ's College, Cambridge. It inhabits the oldest wooden framed boathouse on the river, the nearest to Jesus Lock....
while he was Master of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
: the Boat Club has one boat Sir Hans named after him, and another Lady K after his wife.
He has four children: Julia Cork (b.1957), Rachel Kornberg (b.1959), Dr.Jonathan Kornberg and Simon Kornberg (b.1960).
Sources
- British Humanist Society Distinguished Supporters
- Jewish Year BookJewish Year BookThe Jewish Year Book is an almanac targeted at the Jewish community in the United Kingdom. It has been published every year since 1896 and is currently published by Vallentine Mitchell in association with The Jewish Chronicle and is edited by Stephen W...
, 2005, p. 214: List of Jewish Fellows of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"... - Professor Sir Hans Kornberg FRS in Conversation with Sir James Baddiley FRS October 1990
- Current research interests (Boston University Biology Department)
- Sir Hans Kornberg (Boston University Biology Department)
- University of Sheffield Library: thesis collection