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C. B. van Niel

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C. B. van Niel
Born
Cornelis Bernardus van Niel

(1897-11-04)November 4, 1897
Haarlem,Netherlands
DiedMarch 10, 1985(1985-03-10)(aged 87)
Carmel, California,U.S.
Nationality
  • United States
  • Netherlands
Alma materTU Delft
Known forChemistryofphotosynthesis
AwardsNational Medal of Science(1963)
Leeuwenhoek Medal(1970)
Scientific career
FieldsMicrobiology
InstitutionsHopkins Marine Station
Doctoral advisorAlbert Kluyver
Doctoral studentsRoger Stanier
Signature

Cornelis Bernardus van Niel(also known as Kees van Niel; November 4, 1897 – March 10, 1985) was a Dutch-Americanmicrobiologist.He introduced the study of generalmicrobiologyto the United States and made key discoveries explaining thechemistryofphotosynthesis.[1]

Early life

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In 1923, Cornelis van Niel graduated in chemical engineering atDelft Universityand became an assistant toAlbert Kluyver,who had initiated the field of comparative biochemistry. In 1925 he married Christina van Hemert in Bloemendaal, North Holland, Netherlands. In 1928 he wrote his PhD dissertation ('ThePropionic AcidBacteria') after which he left for the United States to continue his work at theHopkins Marine StationofStanford University.

Work and discoveries

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Photosynthesis (1931)

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By studyingpurple sulphur bacteriaandgreen sulphur bacteriahe was the first scientist to demonstrate, in 1931, that photosynthesis is alight-dependentredoxreaction[2]in whichhydrogenfrom anoxidizablecompoundreducescarbon dioxideto cellular materials. Expressed as:

2 H2A + CO2→ 2A + CH2O + H2O

where A is theelectron acceptor.His discovery predicted that H2O is the hydrogen donor in green plant photosynthesis and is oxidized to O2.The chemical summation of photosynthesis was a milestone in the understanding of the chemistry of photosynthesis. This was later experimentally verified byRobert Hill.

In a nutshell, van Niel proved that plants give off oxygen as a result of splitting water molecules during photosynthesis, not carbon dioxide molecules as thought before.

Bacterial taxonomy

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Van Niel also played a key role in the development ofbacterial taxonomy.[1]In 1962, van Niel in collaboration withRoger Y. Stanierdefinedprokaryotesas cells in which the nuclear material is not surrounded by anuclear membrane,a definition that is still used to date.[3]

Teaching

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Shortly after his arrival atHopkins Marine Station,van Niel developed a course in general microbiology which was to become widely influential.[1]During its run from 1938 to 1962, the course drew students from around the world, and included several accomplished scientists among its alumni, includingEsther LederbergandAllan Campbell.[4][5]and Arthur Kornberg, the recipient of the 1959 Nobel prize for DNA synthesis.

Scientific legacy and awards

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Van Niel was the first biologist to receive the AmericanNational Medal of Science;[6]he was awarded the 1963 Medal in biological sciences for "his fundamental investigations of the comparative biochemistry of microorganisms, for his studies of the basic mechanisms of photosynthesis, and for his excellence as a teacher of many scientists."[7]Additional awards include:

van Niel was elected to the United StatesNational Academy of Sciencesin 1945 and theAmerican Philosophical Societyin 1948.[8][9]In 1950 van Niel became a correspondent of theRoyal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciencesand was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciencesin 1950.[10][11]

Selected publications

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  • Stanier, R. Y.;van Niel, C. B.(1962). "The concept of a bacterium".Archiv für Mikrobiologie.42:17–35.doi:10.1007/BF00425185.PMID13916221.S2CID29859498.
The standardauthor abbreviationC.B.Nielis used to indicate this person as the author whencitingabotanical name.[12]

Footnotes

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  1. ^abcBarker, H. A.; Robert E Hungate (1990). "Cornelis Bernardus van Niel, 1897-1985: a biographical memoir". In National Academy of Sciences (ed.).Biographical Memoirs(PDF).Vol. 59. Washington, D.C.:National Academy Press.pp. 388–423.ISBN0309041988.
  2. ^Niel, C. B. (1932). "On the morphology and physiology of the purple and green sulphur bacteria".Archiv für Mikrobiologie.3:1–112.doi:10.1007/BF00454965.S2CID19597530.
  3. ^Sapp, Jan A. (2009).The new foundations of evolution: on the tree of life.New York:Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-973438-2.
  4. ^Campbell, A. (2007). "Phage Integration and Chromosome Structure. A Personal History".Annual Review of Genetics.41:1–11.doi:10.1146/annurev.genet.41.110306.130240.PMID17474874.
  5. ^Simon, Matthew."Anecdotes".The Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg Trust.RetrievedJanuary 30,2012.
  6. ^Hopkins Marine Station."History".Archived fromthe originalon January 26, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 11,2013.
  7. ^National Science Foundation."US NSF - The President's National Medal of Science: Recipient Details".RetrievedJanuary 11,2013.
  8. ^"C. B. Van Niel".www.nasonline.org.RetrievedMarch 9,2023.
  9. ^"APS Member History".search.amphilsoc.org.RetrievedMarch 9,2023.
  10. ^"Cornelis Bernardus van Niel (1897 - 1985)".Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.RetrievedAugust 4,2015.
  11. ^"Cornelis Bernardus van Niel".American Academy of Arts & Sciences.February 9, 2023.RetrievedMarch 9,2023.
  12. ^International Plant Names Index.C.B.Niel.
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