George Davis Snell
Encyclopedia
George Davis Snell was an American mouse geneticist
and basic transplant
immunologist.
with Baruj Benacerraf
and Jean Dausset
for their discoveries concerning "genetically determined structures on the cell surface that regulate immunological reactions". Snell specifically "discovered the genetic factors that determine the possibilities of transplanting tissue from one individual to another. It was Snell who introduced the concept of H antigen
s."http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1980/press.html Snell's work in mice led to the discovery of HLA
, the major histocompatibility complex, in humans (and all vertebrates) that is analogous to the H-2 complex in mice. Recognition of these key genes was prerequisite to successful tissue and organ transplant
ation.
, the youngest of three children. His father (who was born in Minnesota
), worked as a secretary for the local YMCA
; he invented a device for winding induction coils for motorboat engines. Snell was educated in the Brookline, Massachusetts
schools and then enrolled at Dartmouth College
in Hanover, New Hampshire
where he continued his passion for mathematics and science, focusing on genetics. He received his Bachelor's degree
from Dartmouth in 1926.
On the recommendation of John Gerould, his genetics professor at Dartmouth, Snell did graduate work at Harvard University
with William E. Castle
, the first American biologist to look for Mendelian inheritance
in mammals. Snell earned his PhD
from Harvard in 1930. His doctoral thesis was on genetic linkage
in mice.
Upon receiving the Ph.D from Harvard, George Snell was employed as a teacher at Brown University
, from 1930~1931.
Snell then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas with H.J. Muller, who pioneered radiation genetics (and was also to win a Nobel Prize
). Not surprisingly, Snell studied the genetic effects of x-rays on mice with Muller.
This experience "served to convince me that research was my real love," Snell wrote in his autobiography.http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1980/snell-autobio.html"If it were to be research, mouse genetics was the clear choice and the Jackson Laboratory
, founded in 1929 by Dr. Clarence Cook Little
, one of Castle's earlier students, almost the inevitable selection as a place to work." The Jackson Laboratory was (and still is) the world's mecca for mouse genetics.
From 1933~1934, Snell was a teacher at WUSTL.
After brief stints as teachers, in 1935 Snell joined the staff of The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor
on beautiful Mount Desert Island
by the coast of Maine
and he remained there for the entire balance of his long career. In Bar Harbor, he met and married Rhoda Carson. Together they had three sons, Thomas, Roy, and Peter. In his leisure time, Snell enjoyed skiing, a passion he developed during his years at Dartmouth, as well as tennis.
Snell received the Cancer Research Institute William B. Coley Award
in 1978 for distinguished research in immunology. In 1988, he authored a substantial book, Search for a Rational Ethic, on the nature of ethics and the rules by which we live. It includes an evolution
-based ethic founded on biological realities that he believed to be applicable to all human beings.
Snell died in Bar Harbor, Maine
on June 6, 1996.
1952 Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1955 Hekteon Medal of American Medical Association
1962 Griffen Animal Care Panel Award
1962 Bertner Foundation Award
1967 Gregor Mendel Medal, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
1968-96 The Jackson Laboratory, Senior Staff Scientist Emeritus
1970 Elected to National Academy of Sciences
1976 Gairdner Foundation Award
1978 National Cancer Institute Award
1978 Elected to British Transplantation Society, Honorary
1978 Wolf Prize in Medicine
1979 Elected to French Academy of Sciences, Foreign Associate
1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1982 Elected to American Philosophical Society
1983 Elected to British Society of Immunology, Honorary
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
and basic transplant
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
immunologist.
Work
George Snell shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
with Baruj Benacerraf
Baruj Benacerraf
Baruj Benacerraf was a Venezuelan-born American immunologist, who shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the "discovery of the major histocompatibility complex genes which encode cell surface protein molecules important for the immune system's distinction between self and...
and Jean Dausset
Jean Dausset
Jean-Baptiste-Gabriel-Joachim Dausset was a French immunologist born in Toulouse, France. He married Rose Mayoral in 1963, with whom he had two children, Henri and Irène...
for their discoveries concerning "genetically determined structures on the cell surface that regulate immunological reactions". Snell specifically "discovered the genetic factors that determine the possibilities of transplanting tissue from one individual to another. It was Snell who introduced the concept of H antigen
Antigen
An antigen is a foreign molecule that, when introduced into the body, triggers the production of an antibody by the immune system. The immune system will then kill or neutralize the antigen that is recognized as a foreign and potentially harmful invader. These invaders can be molecules such as...
s."http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1980/press.html Snell's work in mice led to the discovery of HLA
Human leukocyte antigen
The human leukocyte antigen system is the name of the major histocompatibility complex in humans. The super locus contains a large number of genes related to immune system function in humans. This group of genes resides on chromosome 6, and encodes cell-surface antigen-presenting proteins and...
, the major histocompatibility complex, in humans (and all vertebrates) that is analogous to the H-2 complex in mice. Recognition of these key genes was prerequisite to successful tissue and organ transplant
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
ation.
Life
George Snell was born in Bradford, MassachusettsBradford, Massachusetts
Bradford is a former town in Essex County, Massachusetts. The name currently refers to the area on the south side of the Merrimack River in Haverhill, Massachusetts that was once Bradford...
, the youngest of three children. His father (who was born in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
), worked as a secretary for the local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
; he invented a device for winding induction coils for motorboat engines. Snell was educated in the Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
schools and then enrolled at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
where he continued his passion for mathematics and science, focusing on genetics. He received his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Dartmouth in 1926.
On the recommendation of John Gerould, his genetics professor at Dartmouth, Snell did graduate work at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
with William E. Castle
William E. Castle
William Ernest Castle was an early American geneticist.-Early years:William Ernest Castle was born on a farm in Ohio and took an early interest in natural history...
, the first American biologist to look for Mendelian inheritance
Mendelian inheritance
Mendelian inheritance is a scientific description of how hereditary characteristics are passed from parent organisms to their offspring; it underlies much of genetics...
in mammals. Snell earned his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Harvard in 1930. His doctoral thesis was on genetic linkage
Genetic linkage
Genetic linkage is the tendency of certain loci or alleles to be inherited together. Genetic loci that are physically close to one another on the same chromosome tend to stay together during meiosis, and are thus genetically linked.-Background:...
in mice.
Upon receiving the Ph.D from Harvard, George Snell was employed as a teacher at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, from 1930~1931.
Snell then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas with H.J. Muller, who pioneered radiation genetics (and was also to win a Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
). Not surprisingly, Snell studied the genetic effects of x-rays on mice with Muller.
This experience "served to convince me that research was my real love," Snell wrote in his autobiography.http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1980/snell-autobio.html"If it were to be research, mouse genetics was the clear choice and the Jackson Laboratory
Jackson Laboratory
The Jackson Laboratory was founded in Bar Harbor, Maine in 1929 by former University of Maine and University of Michigan president C. C. Little under the name Roscoe B...
, founded in 1929 by Dr. Clarence Cook Little
C. C. Little
Clarence Cook "C.C." Little was an American genetics, cancer, and tobacco researcher and academic administrator.-Biography:...
, one of Castle's earlier students, almost the inevitable selection as a place to work." The Jackson Laboratory was (and still is) the world's mecca for mouse genetics.
From 1933~1934, Snell was a teacher at WUSTL.
After brief stints as teachers, in 1935 Snell joined the staff of The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
on beautiful Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
by the coast of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and he remained there for the entire balance of his long career. In Bar Harbor, he met and married Rhoda Carson. Together they had three sons, Thomas, Roy, and Peter. In his leisure time, Snell enjoyed skiing, a passion he developed during his years at Dartmouth, as well as tennis.
Snell received the Cancer Research Institute William B. Coley Award
William B. Coley Award
The William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology is presented annually by the Cancer Research Institute, Inc., to scientists who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of basic and tumor immunology and whose work has deepened our understanding of the...
in 1978 for distinguished research in immunology. In 1988, he authored a substantial book, Search for a Rational Ethic, on the nature of ethics and the rules by which we live. It includes an evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
-based ethic founded on biological realities that he believed to be applicable to all human beings.
Snell died in Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
on June 6, 1996.
Awards and honors
1935-68 The Jackson Laboratory, Staff Scientist1952 Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1955 Hekteon Medal of American Medical Association
1962 Griffen Animal Care Panel Award
1962 Bertner Foundation Award
1967 Gregor Mendel Medal, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
1968-96 The Jackson Laboratory, Senior Staff Scientist Emeritus
1970 Elected to National Academy of Sciences
1976 Gairdner Foundation Award
1978 National Cancer Institute Award
1978 Elected to British Transplantation Society, Honorary
1978 Wolf Prize in Medicine
1979 Elected to French Academy of Sciences, Foreign Associate
1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
1982 Elected to American Philosophical Society
1983 Elected to British Society of Immunology, Honorary