Hamao Umezawa
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese scientist who discovered several antimicrobial agents and enzyme
inhibitors.
After graduating from the Musashi Junior and Senior High School, Umezawa completed his medical degree in 1937. After serving in Japanese army during World War II Umezawa did work on tuberculosis
which led to his discovery, in 1956, of antibiotic kanamycin
. By this stage Umezawa was heading the Institute of Microbial Chemistry in Tokyo where his main focus was antimicrobial agents manufactured through fermentation processes. Also in the mid-1950s Umezawa discovered kasugamycin
, a compound useful in combating rice molds
. In the early 1960s he discovered the cancer drug bleomycin
.
The Hamao Umezawa Memorial Museum in Setagaya, Tokyo
was named in his honour.
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
inhibitors.
After graduating from the Musashi Junior and Senior High School, Umezawa completed his medical degree in 1937. After serving in Japanese army during World War II Umezawa did work on tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
which led to his discovery, in 1956, of antibiotic kanamycin
Kanamycin
Kanamycin sulfate is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, available in oral, intravenous, and intramuscular forms, and used to treat a wide variety of infections. Kanamycin is isolated from Streptomyces kanamyceticus.-Mechanism:...
. By this stage Umezawa was heading the Institute of Microbial Chemistry in Tokyo where his main focus was antimicrobial agents manufactured through fermentation processes. Also in the mid-1950s Umezawa discovered kasugamycin
Kasugamycin
Kasugamycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that was originally isolated in 1965, from Streptomyces kasugaensis, a Streptomyces strain found near the Kasuga shrine in Nara, Japan. Kasugamycin was discovered by Hamao Umezawa, who also discovered kanamycin and bleomycin, as a drug which could...
, a compound useful in combating rice molds
Magnaporthe grisea
Magnaporthe grisea, also known as rice blast fungus, rice rotten neck, rice seedling blight, blast of rice, oval leaf spot of graminea, pitting disease, ryegrass blast, and Johnson spot, is a plant-pathogenic fungus that causes an important disease affecting rice. It is now known that M...
. In the early 1960s he discovered the cancer drug bleomycin
Bleomycin
Bleomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic produced by the bacterium Streptomyces verticillus. Bleomycin refers to a family of structurally related compounds. When used as an anticancer agent, the chemotherapeutical forms are primarily bleomycin A2 and B2. It works by causing breaks in DNA...
.
The Hamao Umezawa Memorial Museum in Setagaya, Tokyo
Setagaya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood within the ward. The ward calls itself the City of Setagaya in English...
was named in his honour.