J.L. Hubby
Encyclopedia
John Lee "Jack" Hubby was an American
geneticist, pioneer of gel electrophoresis
and co-author with Richard Lewontin
of foundational studies in the field of molecular evolution
.
After earning a PhD from the University of Texas in 1959, Hubby took a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago
, followed a faculty position there. In the early 1960s, he developed new applications for gel electrophoresis. He applied the technique to identify different version of the same protein (reflecting different allele
s for the same genetic locus) in fruit flies. Hubby collaborated with Lewtontin to produce two breakthrough papers in 1966 that used electrophoresis to determine the level of genetic variation in natural populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura
. Their studies revealed high levels of heterozygosity relative to the predictions of most evolutionary theorists.
Hubby died in 1996, aged 64.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
geneticist, pioneer of gel electrophoresis
Gel electrophoresis
Gel electrophoresis is a method used in clinical chemistry to separate proteins by charge and or size and in biochemistry and molecular biology to separate a mixed population of DNA and RNA fragments by length, to estimate the size of DNA and RNA fragments or to separate proteins by charge...
and co-author with Richard Lewontin
Richard Lewontin
Richard Charles "Dick" Lewontin is an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and social commentator. A leader in developing the mathematical basis of population genetics and evolutionary theory, he pioneered the notion of using techniques from molecular biology such as gel electrophoresis to...
of foundational studies in the field of molecular evolution
Molecular evolution
Molecular evolution is in part a process of evolution at the scale of DNA, RNA, and proteins. Molecular evolution emerged as a scientific field in the 1960s as researchers from molecular biology, evolutionary biology and population genetics sought to understand recent discoveries on the structure...
.
After earning a PhD from the University of Texas in 1959, Hubby took a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, followed a faculty position there. In the early 1960s, he developed new applications for gel electrophoresis. He applied the technique to identify different version of the same protein (reflecting different allele
Allele
An allele is one of two or more forms of a gene or a genetic locus . "Allel" is an abbreviation of allelomorph. Sometimes, different alleles can result in different observable phenotypic traits, such as different pigmentation...
s for the same genetic locus) in fruit flies. Hubby collaborated with Lewtontin to produce two breakthrough papers in 1966 that used electrophoresis to determine the level of genetic variation in natural populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura
Drosophila pseudoobscura
Drosophila pseudoobscura is a species of fruit fly, used extensively in lab studies of speciation.In 2005, D. pseudoobscura was the second Drosophila species to have its genome sequenced, after the model organism Drosophila melanogaster....
. Their studies revealed high levels of heterozygosity relative to the predictions of most evolutionary theorists.
Hubby died in 1996, aged 64.