Nathan O. Kaplan
Encyclopedia
Nathan Oram Kaplan was an American biochemist
who studied enzymology and chemotherapy
. After completing a B.A. in chemistry at UCLA in 1939, Kaplan studied carbohydrate metabolism
in the liver
under David M. Greenberg at the University of California, Berkeley
medical school. He earned his Ph.D. in 1943. From 1942 to 1944, Kaplan participated in the Manhattan Project
, and then spent a year as an instructor at Wayne State University
. From 1945 to 1949, Kaplan worked with Fritz Lipmann at Massachusetts General Hospital
to study coenzyme A
. Kaplan went to the University of Illinois College of Medicine
as an assistant professor in 1949, and from 1950 to 1957 he worked at the McCollum-Pratt Institute of Johns Hopkins University
. In 1957, he was recruited to head a new graduate program in biochemistry at Brandeis University
. In 1968, Kaplan moved to the University of California, San Diego
, where he studied the role of lactate dehydrogenase
in cancer
. He also founded a colony of nude mice, a strain of laboratory mice useful in the study of cancer and other diseases.
One of Kaplan's students at the University of California was genomic
researcher Craig Venter
.
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:...
who studied enzymology and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
. After completing a B.A. in chemistry at UCLA in 1939, Kaplan studied carbohydrate metabolism
Carbohydrate metabolism
Carbohydrate metabolism denotes the various biochemical processes responsible for the formation, breakdown and interconversion of carbohydrates in living organisms....
in the liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
under David M. Greenberg at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
medical school. He earned his Ph.D. in 1943. From 1942 to 1944, Kaplan participated in the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
, and then spent a year as an instructor at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
. From 1945 to 1949, Kaplan worked with Fritz Lipmann at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
to study coenzyme A
Coenzyme A
Coenzyme A is a coenzyme, notable for its role in the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids, and the oxidation of pyruvate in the citric acid cycle. All sequenced genomes encode enzymes that use coenzyme A as a substrate, and around 4% of cellular enzymes use it as a substrate...
. Kaplan went to the University of Illinois College of Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine
The University of Illinois College of Medicine offers a four-year program leading to the MD degree at four different sites in Illinois: Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana–Champaign....
as an assistant professor in 1949, and from 1950 to 1957 he worked at the McCollum-Pratt Institute of Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. In 1957, he was recruited to head a new graduate program in biochemistry at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
. In 1968, Kaplan moved to the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
, where he studied the role of lactate dehydrogenase
Lactate dehydrogenase
Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme present in a wide variety of organisms, including plants and animals.Lactate dehydrogenases exist in four distinct enzyme classes. Two of them are cytochrome c-dependent enzymes, each acting on either D-lactate or L-lactate...
in cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He also founded a colony of nude mice, a strain of laboratory mice useful in the study of cancer and other diseases.
One of Kaplan's students at the University of California was genomic
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
researcher Craig Venter
Craig Venter
John Craig Venter is an American biologist and entrepreneur, most famous for his role in being one of the first to sequence the human genome and for his role in creating the first cell with a synthetic genome in 2010. Venter founded Celera Genomics, The Institute for Genomic Research and the J...
.
External links
- Nathan O. Kaplan Papers - Online Archive of California finding aid for Kaplan's papers in the Mandeville Special Collections Library of the University of California, San Diego's Geisel Library
- Nathan O. Kaplan, PhD: 1976 Outstanding Contributions in a Selected Area of Research - an account of Kaplan's work for which he was recognized in 1976 by the American Association for Clinical ChemistryAmerican Association for Clinical ChemistryThe American Association for Clinical Chemistry is an international society, founded in 1948, of clinical laboratory professionals, physicians, research scientists and others who are involved in clinical chemistry and clinical laboratory science. Current President is Barbara M. Goldsmith, PhD, and...