Oliver H. Lowry
Oliver Howe Lowry | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 July 1910 |
| Died | 28 June 1996(aged 85) |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for | Lowry protein assay Silent Subliminal presentation system |
| Spouse(s) | Norma Van Ness Lowry, Adrienne Clark Kennedy Lowry |
| Children | 5 |
| Awards | American Academy of Arts and Sciences(1957)
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
| Institutions | Washington University in St. Louis |
| Thesis | A micro method for blood acetone bodies involving only one distillation and its application in studies on rats(1937) |
| Doctoral advisor | Fred Conrad Koch |
Oliver Howe Lowry(July 18, 1910 – June 29, 1996) was an American biochemist. He devised theLowry protein assay,the subject of the most-cited scientific paper in history.
Biography
[edit]Lowry was the youngest of a family of five children. His father was a teacher and later an administrator in theChicagopublic school system. His three brothers and sister all earned graduate degrees in various fields, and Lowry was inspired to emulate his siblings. He attendedNorthwestern UniversityinEvanston, Illinois,for his undergraduate studies, having intended to major in chemical engineering. However, upon the advice of a fellow student, he ended up shifting his focus towards biochemistry.[1]After graduating from Northwestern in 1932, he enrolled at theUniversity of Chicago,where he sought to study "physiological chemistry".[2]During his second year, a dean of the university offered Lowry admission to the university'sMD-PhDprogram, which he accepted and from which he graduated in 1937. Despite that he earned a medical degree, Lowry never practiced medicine.[2]
After graduating from the University of Chicago with his two doctoral degrees, Lowry failed in his attempt to secure a postdoctoral fellowship. He left Chicago to work atHarvard Universityunder A. Baird Hastings. During Lowry's time at Harvard, Hastings was able to arrange for Lowry to work for five months at theCarlsberg LaboratoryinCopenhagen,Denmark,where he worked withKaj Ulrik Linderstrøm-Lang.By 1942,Otto Besseypersuaded his friend Lowry to join him at the newly establishedPublic Health Research InstituteinNew York City,where Lowry would work until 1947.[1]
In 1947,Washington University in St. Louisinvited Lowry to head its Department of Pharmacology despite the fact that Lowry had never taken a course in pharmacology and his research was only tangentially related to that field. Nevertheless, Lowry served as the department head for the next twenty-nine years. He also served as dean of theWashington University School of Medicinefrom 1955 to 1958.[2]He was eventually succeeded as department head byPhilip Needleman,but Lowry continued to work at Washington University for many years after becoming a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology.[1][3]Lowry was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciencesin 1957 and to theNational Academy of Sciencesin 1964. He died ofAlzheimer's disease,at the age of 85, on June 29, 1996.[4]
Scientific impact
[edit]Among all his numerous contributions to biochemistry, Lowry is best known for his development of theLowry protein assay,used in the determination of protein concentrations. As of September 2015, his 1951 paper in theJournal of Biological Chemistry[5]describing the protein assay was still the most-highly cited paper in history, with more than 310,000 citations,[6]although Lowry stated it was not the most important paper he had ever written.[2][7]
References
[edit]- ^abcLowry, O. H. (1990)."How to Succeed in Research Without Being a Genius".Annual Review of Biochemistry.59:1–27.doi:10.1146/annurev.bi.59.070190.000245.PMID2197974.
- ^abcdKresge N, Simoni RD, Hill RL (July 2005)."The Most Highly Cited Paper in Publishing History: Protein Determination by Oliver H. Lowry".Journal of Biological Chemistry.280(28): e25.
- ^"National Academy of Science, Member Directory, Oliver H. Lowry".
- ^Wolfgang, Saxon (July 4, 1996)."Oliver H. Lowry, 85, an Expert In Precise Biological Measuring".New York Times.p. B8.RetrievedFebruary 26,2011.
- ^Lowry, OH; Rosebrough, NJ; Farr, AL; Randall, RJ (1951)."Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent".Journal of Biological Chemistry.193(1): 265–75.doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(19)52451-6.PMID14907713.
- ^Noorden R. van; et al. (2014)."The top 100 papers".Nature.514(7524): 550–553.Bibcode:2014Natur.514..550V.doi:10.1038/514550a.PMID25355343.
- ^Rieder, S.; Bruse, C.; Michalski, C.; Kleeff, J.; Friess, H. (2010). "The impact factor ranking—a challenge for scientists and publishers".Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery.395:69–73.doi:10.1007/s00423-010-0623-4.PMID20306337.S2CID24936792.
Further reading
[edit]- Lowry's highly cited 1951 paper:Lowry, OH; Rosebrough, NJ; Farr, AL; Randall, RJ (1951)."Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent".Journal of Biological Chemistry.193(1): 265–75.doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(19)52451-6.PMID14907713.
- Oliver H. Lowry's publication list
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
- Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
- 1996 deaths
- 1910 births
- University of Chicago alumni
- Northwestern University alumni
- 20th-century American biochemists
- Scientists from Chicago
- Scientists from St. Louis
- Neurological disease deaths in Minnesota
- Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in the United States
- Carlsberg Laboratory staff
- Washington University School of Medicine faculty