Rudolf Signer Contents Education Career Research References External links Navigation menu"Rudolf...
1903 births1990 deathsSwiss chemistsSwiss scientist stubsBiologist stubs
HerisauSwitzerlandGümlingenSwitzerlandDNAdouble helixUniversity of BernSt. GallenETH ZurichHermann StaudingerUniversity of FribourgHabilitationUppsalaManchesterRockefellerinorganic chemistryUniversity of Bernemeritusnatural productsDNAThymuscalvesMaurice WilkinsX rayJames WatsonFrancis Crickdouble-helixKing's College, LondonLavoisier Medal
Rudolf Signer | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1903-03-17)March 17, 1903 Herisau, Switzerland |
| Died | December 1, 1990(1990-12-01) (aged 87) Gümlingen, Switzerland |
| Alma mater | ETH Zurich, University of Fribourg |
| Awards | Lavoisier Medal |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Organic chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Bern |
Rudolf Signer (17 March 1903, Herisau, Switzerland - 1 December 1990, Gümlingen, Switzerland) contributed to the discovery of the DNA double helix. He was a Professor for organic chemistry at the University of Bern from 1935 until 1972.[1][2]
Contents
1 Education
2 Career
3 Research
4 References
5 External links
Education
Signer was the son of Jakob Signer, a chemical scientist working in the textile industry, and his wife Dorothea Agnes Scherrer. Rudolf Signer went to high school in St. Gallen and matriculated at the ETH Zurich in 1921 to study chemistry, initially in order to become a teacher. 1927 he graduated with his doctorate under the supervision of Hermann Staudinger. Already 1926 he had become Wissenschaftlicher Assistent at the University of Fribourg, where he qualified as a professor with a Habilitation.
Career
Signer spent 1932–1933 in Uppsala and Manchester on a Rockefeller-scholarship. He became a non-tenured professor for general and inorganic chemistry at the University of Bern in 1935 and was tenured in 1939. He went on to became director of the university's Institute of Chemistry and retired as emeritus in 1972.
Research
Signer focused on macromolecular chemistry, in particular with regards to natural products. 1938 he measured and described the DNA, discovering its thread-like structure. 1950 Signer produced extraordinarily pure DNA from the Thymus of calves, of which he took 15 grams of extraordinarily pure DNA to London. In England he gave it to various scientists, among them Maurice Wilkins, in order to promote research in the field. The analysis of X ray images of these DNA samples in Wilkins' laboratory allowed James Watson and Francis Crick to discover the double-helix structure of DNA. Rests of the DNA which Signer brought to England, survive today in the collection of King's College, London.[3] Over 250 of Signer's scientific writings were published during his lifetime. The Lavoisier Medal was awarded to him for his scientific work and achievements.
References
^ Center for Oral History. "Rudolf Signer". Science History Institute..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Koeppel, Tonja (30 September 1986). Rudolf Signer, Transcript of an Interview Conducted by Tonja Koeppel at Berne, Switzerland on 30 September 1986 (PDF). Philadelphia, PA: The Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry.
^ "Signer's DNA". King's College, London. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
External links
Center for Oral History. "Rudolf Signer". Science History Institute.
Koeppel, Tonja (30 September 1986). Rudolf Signer, Transcript of an Interview Conducted by Tonja Koeppel at Berne, Switzerland on 30 September 1986 (PDF). Philadelphia, PA: The Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry.
Authority control  |
|
|---|
 | This article about a Swiss scientist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a biologist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
