Albert Kluyver
Encyclopedia
Albert Jan Kluyver was a Dutch
microbiologist
and biochemist
.
In 1926 Kluyver and Hendrick Jean Louis Donker published the now classic paper, "Die Einheit in der Biochemie" ("Unity in Biochemistry"), a paper helped establish Kluyver's vision that, at a biochemical level, all organisms are unified. Kluyver famously expressed the idea with the aphorism: “From elephant to butyric acid bacterium – it is all the same”. The paper, and other work from Kluyver's lab that helped support both the concept of biochemical unity as well as the idea of "comparative biochemistry," which Kluyver envisioned as biochemically equivalent to “comparative anatomy.” The concept established a theoretical basis for studying chemical processes in bacteria and extrapolating those processes to higher organisms.
The concepts of "biochemical unity" and "comparative biochemistry" were very influential and was probably Kluyver's most significant work. Kluyver's best known student, C. B. van Niel, commented on his mentor's scientific influence and noted that by the middle of the 20th century his work on biochemical unity was no longer cited. His aphorism was sufficiently widespread that in 1961 François Jacob and Jacques Monod paraphrased it, without mentioning Kluyver, as “that old axiom ‘what is true for bacteria is also true for elephants’ ” to justify genetic code's universality. Unfortunately, his career was profoundly influenced by World War 2 and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
He is associated with the Delft
school of microbiology. He is considered the father of comparative microbiology, and in 1953 won the Copley medal
.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
microbiologist
Microbiologist
A microbiologist is a scientist who works in the field of microbiology. Microbiologists study organisms called microbes. Microbes can take the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists...
and biochemist
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
.
In 1926 Kluyver and Hendrick Jean Louis Donker published the now classic paper, "Die Einheit in der Biochemie" ("Unity in Biochemistry"), a paper helped establish Kluyver's vision that, at a biochemical level, all organisms are unified. Kluyver famously expressed the idea with the aphorism: “From elephant to butyric acid bacterium – it is all the same”. The paper, and other work from Kluyver's lab that helped support both the concept of biochemical unity as well as the idea of "comparative biochemistry," which Kluyver envisioned as biochemically equivalent to “comparative anatomy.” The concept established a theoretical basis for studying chemical processes in bacteria and extrapolating those processes to higher organisms.
The concepts of "biochemical unity" and "comparative biochemistry" were very influential and was probably Kluyver's most significant work. Kluyver's best known student, C. B. van Niel, commented on his mentor's scientific influence and noted that by the middle of the 20th century his work on biochemical unity was no longer cited. His aphorism was sufficiently widespread that in 1961 François Jacob and Jacques Monod paraphrased it, without mentioning Kluyver, as “that old axiom ‘what is true for bacteria is also true for elephants’ ” to justify genetic code's universality. Unfortunately, his career was profoundly influenced by World War 2 and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.
He is associated with the Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
school of microbiology. He is considered the father of comparative microbiology, and in 1953 won the Copley medal
Copley Medal
The Copley Medal is an award given by the Royal Society of London for "outstanding achievements in research in any branch of science, and alternates between the physical sciences and the biological sciences"...
.
Further reading
- Spath, Susan. 1999. “C.B. Van Niel and the Culture of Microbiology, 1920–1965.” Unpub. PhD dissertation, U. California, Berkeley.
- Singleton, R. 2000. “From Bacteriology to Biochemistry: Albert Jan Kluyver and Chester Werkman at Iowa State” The Journal of the History of Biology 33: 141–180.
- Theunissen, Bert. 1996. “The Beginnings of the ‘Delft Tradition’ Revisited: Martinus W. Beijerinck and the Genetics of Microorganisms.” The Journal of the History of Biology 29: 197–228.