Edward Tatum — Nobel peace prize winner.
Edward Lawrie Tatum was an American geneticist who shared the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with George Beadle and Joshua Lederberg for their discovery that genes control individual steps in metabolism.
Tatum was born in Boulder, Colorado, in 1909. He studied chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he received his Ph.D. in 1934. He then moved to Stanford University, where he began his research on genetics.
In 1941, Tatum and Beadle began working together on a project to study the genetics of bread mold (Neurospora crassa). They exposed the mold to x-rays, which caused mutations in its genes. They then showed that these mutations affected the mold’s ability to synthesize essential nutrients. This work led to the development of the “one gene-one enzyme” hypothesis, which states that each gene controls the production of a single enzyme.
Tatum continued his research on genetics at Yale University, where he served as a professor from 1945 until his death in 1975. He was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.
Some of Tatum’s famous quotes include:
* “The gene is the unit of function, not the unit of structure.”
* “The ultimate goal of genetics is to understand the molecular basis of life.”
* “Genetics is the study of the continuity of life.”
Tatum’s work was groundbreaking and has had a profound impact on our understanding of genetics. He was a brilliant scientist and a dedicated teacher who inspired generations of researchers. His contributions to science will be remembered for many years to come.
