Peter Hermann Stillmark
Encyclopedia
In 1888 at the University in Dorpat
, now Tartu
in Estonia
under prof. Robert Kobert's supervision Peter Hermann Stillmark (1860–1923) completed his doctoral thesis "Über Ricin, ein giftiges Ferment aus den Samen von Ricinus comm. L. und einigen anderen Euphorbiaceen", which is a description of the isolation of ricin
, a poisonous protein component from castor beans. That event is internationally recognised as the birth of a new branch of science called lectinology
.
Any of a group of proteins, derived from plants, that can bind to specific oligosaccharides on the surface of cells, causing the cells to clump together. Lectins can be used to identify mutant cells in cell cultures and to determine blood groups as they can cause the agglutination of red blood cells. Lectins are found in seeds of legumes and in other tissues, in which they are thought to act as a toxin.
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
, now Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
under prof. Robert Kobert's supervision Peter Hermann Stillmark (1860–1923) completed his doctoral thesis "Über Ricin, ein giftiges Ferment aus den Samen von Ricinus comm. L. und einigen anderen Euphorbiaceen", which is a description of the isolation of ricin
Ricin
Ricin , from the castor oil plant Ricinus communis, is a highly toxic, naturally occurring protein. A dose as small as a few grains of salt can kill an adult. The LD50 of ricin is around 22 micrograms per kilogram Ricin , from the castor oil plant Ricinus communis, is a highly toxic, naturally...
, a poisonous protein component from castor beans. That event is internationally recognised as the birth of a new branch of science called lectinology
Lectin
Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that are highly specific for their sugar moieties. They play a role in biological recognition phenomena involving cells and proteins. For example, some viruses use lectins to attach themselves to the cells of the host organism during infection...
.
Any of a group of proteins, derived from plants, that can bind to specific oligosaccharides on the surface of cells, causing the cells to clump together. Lectins can be used to identify mutant cells in cell cultures and to determine blood groups as they can cause the agglutination of red blood cells. Lectins are found in seeds of legumes and in other tissues, in which they are thought to act as a toxin.