Kim Sung-Hou
Encyclopedia
Kim Sung-Hou PhD is a Korean-born American
structural biologist and biophysicist. Dr. Kim reported the first 3D structure of tRNA with A. Rich
in 1973. He also published many papers on the structures of protein molecules including human Ras
, human cyclin dependent kinase 2 and small heat shock protein. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Science and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1994. He is currently a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the U.C. Berkeley
and a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL)
.
. He obtained his B.S. (1960) and M.S. (1962) in chemistry from Seoul National University
, South Korea
, and his PhD in 1966 from the University of Pittsburgh
. From 1966 to 1970 he was a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
under Alexander Rich
, and a senior research scientist there from 1970 to 1972, also with Dr. Rich.
From 1972 to 1978, he served as assistant and associate professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine
, and as Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
, from 1978 to present.
group and Aaron Klug
's group at Cambridge. Dr. Kim, while at MIT, first published the 4Å backbone structure in Science
in 1973. The next year, Rich's group came up with the 3Å structure.
At a symposium held in June 1974, both Rich and Robertus from Klug’s group presented their results with little detail. Afterwards Klug’s group argued and complained to Francis Crick
that Rich's group published a paper in Science within a month of the symposium influenced by what they had heard which differed in some details from Rich’s earlier 3 Å structure. Two weeks later a Nature
paper by Klug's group presented their 3 Å structure. Crick wrote to Rich concerning Klug’s accusation. However, Rich denied any scientific misconduct.
The controversy arose from Klug's group not realizing that there were two tRNA models in the US: the MIT model (produced by Rich's team) and the Duke model (produced by Kim's team; Kim had moved to Duke University in 1972). There had been a breakdown of communication between the MIT and Duke groups in 1973-1974, during which period the models were developed independently. The Science paper was based on the Duke model, which reconfirmed the correctness of the original backbone structure, and revealed an atomic structure that differed in a few details from the MIT model and, as it turned out, from the Cambridge model as well. This was later acknowledged by Crick.
with Professor Joseph Schlessinger
of Yale University
. Plexxikon uses a pioneering structural biology-based platform as a technique for drug discovery and development.
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
structural biologist and biophysicist. Dr. Kim reported the first 3D structure of tRNA with A. Rich
Alexander Rich
Alexander Rich, MD is a biologist and biophysicist. He is the William Thompson Sedgwick Professor of Biophysics at MIT and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rich earned both an A.B. and an M.D. from Harvard University. He was a post-doc of Linus Pauling along with James Watson...
in 1973. He also published many papers on the structures of protein molecules including human Ras
Ras
Ras is the name given to a family of related proteins found inside cells, including human cells. All Ras protein family members belong to a class of protein called small GTPase, and are involved in transmitting signals within cells...
, human cyclin dependent kinase 2 and small heat shock protein. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Science and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences since 1994. He is currently a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the U.C. Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
.
Biography
Kim Sung-Hou was born in 1937 in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. He obtained his B.S. (1960) and M.S. (1962) in chemistry from Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and his PhD in 1966 from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. From 1966 to 1970 he was a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
under Alexander Rich
Alexander Rich
Alexander Rich, MD is a biologist and biophysicist. He is the William Thompson Sedgwick Professor of Biophysics at MIT and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rich earned both an A.B. and an M.D. from Harvard University. He was a post-doc of Linus Pauling along with James Watson...
, and a senior research scientist there from 1970 to 1972, also with Dr. Rich.
From 1972 to 1978, he served as assistant and associate professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine
The Duke University School of Medicine is Duke University's medical school operating under the auspices of the Duke University Medical Center. Established in 1925 by James B...
, and as Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, from 1978 to present.
Controversy over structure of tRNA
There was some intense competition among several groups worldwide for solving the 3D structure of tRNA during the sixties and early seventies. The final round was between MIT's RichAlexander Rich
Alexander Rich, MD is a biologist and biophysicist. He is the William Thompson Sedgwick Professor of Biophysics at MIT and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rich earned both an A.B. and an M.D. from Harvard University. He was a post-doc of Linus Pauling along with James Watson...
group and Aaron Klug
Aaron Klug
Sir Aaron Klug, OM, PRS is a Lithuanian-born British chemist and biophysicist, and winner of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his development of crystallographic electron microscopy and his structural elucidation of biologically important nucleic acid-protein complexes.-Biography:Klug was...
's group at Cambridge. Dr. Kim, while at MIT, first published the 4Å backbone structure in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
in 1973. The next year, Rich's group came up with the 3Å structure.
At a symposium held in June 1974, both Rich and Robertus from Klug’s group presented their results with little detail. Afterwards Klug’s group argued and complained to Francis Crick
Francis Crick
Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson...
that Rich's group published a paper in Science within a month of the symposium influenced by what they had heard which differed in some details from Rich’s earlier 3 Å structure. Two weeks later a Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
paper by Klug's group presented their 3 Å structure. Crick wrote to Rich concerning Klug’s accusation. However, Rich denied any scientific misconduct.
The controversy arose from Klug's group not realizing that there were two tRNA models in the US: the MIT model (produced by Rich's team) and the Duke model (produced by Kim's team; Kim had moved to Duke University in 1972). There had been a breakdown of communication between the MIT and Duke groups in 1973-1974, during which period the models were developed independently. The Science paper was based on the Duke model, which reconfirmed the correctness of the original backbone structure, and revealed an atomic structure that differed in a few details from the MIT model and, as it turned out, from the Cambridge model as well. This was later acknowledged by Crick.
Plexxikon
In 2001, Kim co-founded PlexxikonPlexxikon
Plexxikon is a drug discovery company based in Berkeley, California that was co-founded in 2001 by Joseph Schlessinger of Yale University with Sung-Hou Kim of the University of California, Berkeley....
with Professor Joseph Schlessinger
Joseph Schlessinger
Joseph "Josip" Schlessinger is a Croatian-born Israeli biochemist and biophysician. He is chair of the Pharmacology Department at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, as well as the founding director of the school's new Cancer Biology Institute...
of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Plexxikon uses a pioneering structural biology-based platform as a technique for drug discovery and development.