Manfred Eigen

Manfred Eigen
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Name	Manfred Eigen
Birth date	May 9, 1927
Birth place	Bochum, Germany
Death date	February 6, 2019
Death place	Göttingen, Germany
Nationality	German
Fields	Biophysical chemistry, Physical chemistry

Manfred Eigen was a renowned German biophysical chemist who made significant contributions to the field of physical chemistry, particularly in the areas of chemical kinetics and molecular biology. His work was heavily influenced by Ludwig Boltzmann, Albert Einstein, and Erwin Schrödinger, and he collaborated with notable scientists such as John von Neumann and Francis Crick. Eigen's research focused on the kinetics of chemical reactions and the origin of life, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967 for his work on fast reactions.

● Early Life and Education

Manfred Eigen was born in Bochum, Germany, and grew up in a family of musicians and artists. He developed an interest in science and mathematics at an early age, inspired by the works of Isaac Newton and Max Planck. Eigen pursued his higher education at the University of Göttingen, where he studied physics and chemistry under the guidance of Werner Heisenberg and Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer. He received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Göttingen in 1951, and his thesis was supervised by Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer.

● Career

Eigen began his academic career as a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry in Göttingen, where he worked alongside Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer and Theodor Förster. In 1953, he became a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, and in 1964, he was appointed as the director of the institute. Eigen's research group at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry collaborated with other prominent researchers, including Manfred Kahlweit, Gerhard Maret, and Peter Schuster. He also held visiting professorships at Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University, where he interacted with Henry Taube, Willard Libby, and Linus Pauling.

● Research and Contributions

Manfred Eigen's research focused on the kinetics of chemical reactions, particularly fast reactions and relaxation processes. He developed the temperature jump method, which allowed for the measurement of fast reactions in solutions. Eigen's work on chemical kinetics was influenced by the theories of Arrhenius, Eyring, and Polanyi. He also made significant contributions to the field of molecular biology, including the study of nucleic acid replication and evolution. Eigen's research group collaborated with Francis Crick, James Watson, and Marshall Nirenberg on the structure and function of DNA and RNA. His work on the origin of life was influenced by the Miller-Urey experiment and the primordial soup hypothesis proposed by Alexander Oparin and J.B.S. Haldane.

● Awards and Honors

Manfred Eigen received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to science, including the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967, which he shared with Ronald Norrish and George Porter. He was also awarded the Otto Hahn Prize in 1962, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize in 1992, and the Max Planck Medal in 1994. Eigen was elected as a foreign member of the Royal Society in 1973 and as a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1976. He received honorary degrees from University of Chicago, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge, and he was awarded the Pour le Mérite in 1990.

● Personal Life

Manfred Eigen was married to Ruthild Oswatitsch, and they had two children together. He was an avid musician and pianist, and he enjoyed playing the piano in his free time. Eigen was also a talented skier and mountaineer, and he climbed several mountains in the Alps and the Himalayas. He passed away on February 6, 2019, in Göttingen, Germany, at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of significant contributions to the field of biophysical chemistry. Eigen's work continues to influence research in chemical kinetics, molecular biology, and the origin of life, and his legacy is remembered by scientists such as James Watson, Francis Crick, and Sydney Brenner. Category:German scientists