Nathan Sharon
Encyclopedia
Nathan Sharon was an Israeli biochemist
.
, then in Poland
(now Brest, Belarus
). He emigrated
to Mandate Palestine with his family in 1934 and settled in Tel Aviv
. Concurrent with his high school studies, Sharon joined the Gadna
military youth program in 1941, and following his graduation from school, in 1943, he joined the Palmach
, serving until 1945.
During Israel's War of Independence, Sharon served in the Science Corps of the Israel Defense Forces
, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel, and worked on the development of gas flame throwers.
Sharon studied chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. In 1950, he graduated and, in 1953, he was awarded a doctorate.
In 1954, he joined the faculty of the Department for Biophysics at the Weizmann Institute of Science
, headed by professor Ephraim Katzir
, where he became a professor in 1968. In 1974, he was appointed head of the department, a position he held a position he held intermittently until his retirement in 1990. He also served as dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Physics and was a visiting professor at Harvard
, Oxford and Berkley universities. He was also a member of the senate of the Open University of Israel
and a member of the counsel of the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College. He served as editor of "World of Science" broadcast on Israel Radio, editor of the journal "Mada" (Science) and science and technology editor of the Haaretz
newspaper.
He was a leading figure in the research of carbohydrate
and glycoprotein
for more than fifty years. He authored several seminal works on lectins and glyoconjugates, including the discovery of lectins, their interactions with carbohydrates, and their subsequent use in laboratory research and diagnostics.
In 1992, he was elected to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
.
He was the nephew of Pinchas Sapir
, the former Israeli Finance Minister and the brother of Shmuel Shtrikman, who was awarded the 2001 Israel Prize for physics.
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...
.
Biography
Sharon was born in 1925 in Brest-LitovskBrest, Belarus
Brest , formerly also Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk , is a city in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the city of Terespol, where the Bug River and Mukhavets rivers meet...
, then in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(now Brest, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
). He emigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Mandate Palestine with his family in 1934 and settled in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. Concurrent with his high school studies, Sharon joined the Gadna
Gadna (Israel)
Gadna is an Israeli military program to prepare youth for their mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces or Border Police. A one week program of discipline and military learning run mostly by soldiers of the Nahal infantry brigade, as well as by soldiers recruited and trained...
military youth program in 1941, and following his graduation from school, in 1943, he joined the Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
, serving until 1945.
During Israel's War of Independence, Sharon served in the Science Corps of the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel, and worked on the development of gas flame throwers.
Sharon studied chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. In 1950, he graduated and, in 1953, he was awarded a doctorate.
In 1954, he joined the faculty of the Department for Biophysics at the Weizmann Institute of Science
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
, headed by professor Ephraim Katzir
Ephraim Katzir
Ephraim Katzir was an Israeli biophysicist and former Israeli Labor Party politician. He was the fourth President of Israel from 1973 until 1978.-Biography:...
, where he became a professor in 1968. In 1974, he was appointed head of the department, a position he held a position he held intermittently until his retirement in 1990. He also served as dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Physics and was a visiting professor at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Oxford and Berkley universities. He was also a member of the senate of the Open University of Israel
Open University of Israel
The Open University of Israel is a distance-education university in Israel. , the Open University taught around 39,000 students.The Open University of Israel has more students than any other academic institution in Israel. The administration is based in the city of Ra'anana. Students from all over...
and a member of the counsel of the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College. He served as editor of "World of Science" broadcast on Israel Radio, editor of the journal "Mada" (Science) and science and technology editor of the Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
newspaper.
He was a leading figure in the research 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...
and glycoprotein
Glycoprotein
Glycoproteins are proteins that contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to polypeptide side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as glycosylation. In proteins that have segments extending...
for more than fifty years. He authored several seminal works on lectins and glyoconjugates, including the discovery of lectins, their interactions with carbohydrates, and their subsequent use in laboratory research and diagnostics.
In 1992, he was elected to the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, based in Jerusalem, was set up in 1961 by the State of Israel to foster contact between scholars from the sciences and humanities in Israel, to advise the government on research projects of national importance, and to promote excellence. It comprises...
.
Honours and awards
Sharon received numerous honorary degrees and awards including:- In 1987, he was awarded the Weizmann Prize for Sciences.
- In 1987, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of ParisUniversity of ParisThe University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. - In 1994, he was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
in biochemistry.
Family
Sharon married Rachel (Itzikson) in 1948 and had two daughters.He was the nephew of Pinchas Sapir
Pinchas Sapir
Pinchas Sapir was an Israeli politician during the first three decades following the country's founding.He held two important ministerial posts, Minister of Finance and Minister of Trade and Industry as well as several other high-ranking governmental posts...
, the former Israeli Finance Minister and the brother of Shmuel Shtrikman, who was awarded the 2001 Israel Prize for physics.
Selected works
Sharon published over 400 papers in international scientific journals and wrote or edited eight books in English and Hebrew. His published works include:- Lectins, co-authored with Halina Lis (Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2003 (2nd edition)).
External links
- Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions at the Atomic Level: Studies of Legume Lectins Weizmann Institute of Science. (Also contains list of related publication, including those of Nathan Sharon, from 2002)