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Don Craig Wiley

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Don Craig Wiley
Born(1944-10-21)October 21, 1944
Akron, Ohio,U.S.
Diedc.November 15, 2001(2001-11-15)(aged 57)
Memphis, Tennessee,U.S.
Alma materTufts University[1]
Harvard University
SpouseKatrin Valgeirsdottir[5]
Awards
Scientific career
ThesisThe 5.5 ⁰A structure of the regulatory enzyme, aspartate transcarbamylase(1972)
Doctoral advisorWilliam N. Lipscomb, Jr.
Doctoral studentsMichael Eisen[2][3][4] Pamela J. Bjorkman

Don Craig Wiley(October 21, 1944 –c.November 15, 2001) was anAmericanstructural biologist.[5][6][7][8][9]

Education

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Wiley received his doctoral degree in biophysics in 1971 fromHarvard University,where he worked under the direction of the subsequent 1976chemistry Nobel PrizewinnerWilliam N. Lipscomb, Jr.[10] There, Wiley did early work on the structure ofaspartate carbamoyltransferase,the largest molecular structure determined at that time.[11]Noteworthy in this effort was that Wiley managed to grow crystals of aspartate carbamoyltransferase suitable for obtaining itsX-ray structure,a particularly difficult task in the case of this molecular complex.

Career and research

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Wiley was world-renowned for finding new ways to help the human immune system battle such viral scourges assmallpox,influenza,HIV/AIDSandherpes simplex.

Famous quote: "I'm sorry, but I just don't understand anything in biology unless I know what it looks like."[12]

Awards and honors

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In 1990, he was awarded theLouisa Gross Horwitz PrizefromColumbia University.His research was honored with the 1993 Cancer Research InstituteWilliam B. Coley Award.Harvard called Wiley "one of the most influential biologists of his generation." In 1999, Wiley and another Harvard professor,Jack L. Strominger,won theJapan Prizefor their discoveries of how the immune system protects humans from infections.[13]

Personal life

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Wiley owned aBritish racing green-coloredAston Martin.[12]

He was a member of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences,[14]theNational Academy of Sciences,[15]and theAmerican Philosophical Society.[16]

Disappearance and death

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Wiley disappeared on November 15, 2001. The official coroner's report stated that Wiley died after falling off a bridge nearMemphis, Tennessee;his body was found in theMississippi River300 miles (480 km) downstream inVidalia, Louisianaa month later and his death was ruled to be an accident.[17][18][19]Shelby County Medical Examiner, Dr. O. C. Smith, conducted the investigation into Wiley's death.[20][21]Smith was quoted by a Boston Magazine article by Doug Most, which states: "Of all the measurements Smith took, one stood out: 8 inches. That's how narrow the curb is from the road to the railing, which is only 43 inches high. 'If he stood against the rail, it's hitting him in the back of the thigh,' Smith says. 'If he's startled or caught by a gust from an18-wheeler,his center of gravity is 47 inches, near the top rail, below his hip.' "[20]A 43 "rail hitting a person in the back of the thigh would require a person to have an inseam of 41–44 inches. An inseam of 40 inches is recommended for persons 6' 11" to over 7' tall.[22]

Wiley was 6'3 "and weighed 160 pounds, according to theLos Angeles Times.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abDr. Don C. Wiley.japanprize.jp
  2. ^Eisen, Michael Bruce(1996).Structural Studies of Influenza A Virus Proteins(PhD thesis). Harvard University.OCLC48938206.
  3. ^Eisen, M. B.; Sabesan, S;Skehel, J. J.;Wiley, D. C. (1997)."Binding of the influenza a virus to cell-surface receptors: Structures of five hemagglutinin-sialyloligosaccharide complexes determined by X-ray crystallography".Virology.232(1): 19–31.doi:10.1006/viro.1997.8526.PMID9185585.
  4. ^Eisen, M. B.; Wiley, D. C.; Karplus, M; Hubbard, R. E. (1994). "HOOK: A program for finding novel molecular architectures that satisfy the chemical and steric requirements of a macromolecule binding site".Proteins: Structure, Function, and Genetics.19(3): 199–221.doi:10.1002/prot.340190305.PMID7937734.S2CID10765110.
  5. ^abPloegh, H. L.(2002)."Obituary: Don Craig Wiley (1944-2001)".Nature.415(6871): 492.Bibcode:2002Natur.415..492P.doi:10.1038/415492a.PMID11823846.
  6. ^Strominger, J. L. (2002). "Don Craig Wiley (1944-2001): A reminiscence".Nature Immunology.3(2): 103–4.doi:10.1038/ni0202-103.PMID11812980.S2CID6362947.
  7. ^"Don C. Wiley (1944 - 2001) Memorial website of the Wiley laboratory".Harvard University. Archived fromthe originalon 2014-08-10.
  8. ^Don Craig Wiley's publicationsindexed by theScopusbibliographic database.(subscription required)
  9. ^Lechler, R. (2002)."Don Craig Wiley (1944-2001)".American Journal of Transplantation.2(5): 480.doi:10.1034/j.1600-6143.2002.20515.x.
  10. ^Harvard Gazette: Biologist Don C. Wiley, 1944-2001Archived2011-05-22 at theWayback Machine
  11. ^Sondra, Schlesinger (1999)."Oral history: Don Wiley".Viruses: From structure to biology.American Society for Virology.Retrieved2013-11-15.
  12. ^abPloegh, Hidde L."Don C. Wiley: A Tribute".Harvard University Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-03-28.Retrieved2017-03-27.
  13. ^"Authorities Search For Missing Harvard Virus Specialist".Fox News.24 November 2001.
  14. ^"Don Craig Wiley".American Academy of Arts & Sciences.Retrieved16 December2021.
  15. ^"Don C. Wiley".nasonline.org.Retrieved16 December2021.
  16. ^"APS Member History".search.amphilsoc.org.Retrieved16 December2021.
  17. ^"Obituary: Professor Don C. Wiley, 1944-2001".Office of news and public affairs.Harvard University. 21 December 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 4 May 2009.Retrieved15 November2013.
  18. ^"Professor Don C. Wiley, 1944-2001".Office of news and public affairs.Harvard University. 15 January 2002.Retrieved15 November2013.
  19. ^"Harvard Biologist's Death Ruled Accidental".The New York Times.15 January 2002.Retrieved15 November2013.
  20. ^ab"What Happened to Don Wiley?".Boston Magazine.Metrocorp. 15 May 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 25 February 2023.Retrieved25 February2023.
  21. ^"Official Theory on Biochemist's Death".Science Magazine.AAAS. 14 January 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 26 February 2023.Retrieved25 February2023.
  22. ^"Size Guides".2Tall.25 February 2023.Retrieved25 February2023.
  23. ^article "A Scientist’s Mystery" by Jeffrey Gettleman and Elizabeth Mehren, Nov. 30, 2001
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