Sidney Altman

Sidney Altman
NIH · Public domain · source
Name	Sidney Altman
Birth date	May 7, 1939
Birth place	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Death date	April 5, 2022
Death place	Rockleigh, New Jersey, United States
Nationality	Canadian American
Fields	Molecular biology, Biochemistry

Sidney Altman was a renowned molecular biologist and biochemist who made significant contributions to the field of RNA biology. He is best known for his discovery of catalytic RNA, also known as ribozymes, which are RNA molecules that can catalyze specific chemical reactions, similar to enzymes. Altman's work was influenced by the research of Francis Crick, James Watson, and Rosalind Franklin, who discovered the structure of DNA. His findings have had a profound impact on our understanding of molecular biology and have led to the development of new therapeutic approaches, including RNA interference and gene therapy, which have been explored by researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University, and the National Institutes of Health.

● Early Life and Education

Altman was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to a family of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. He developed an interest in science at an early age, inspired by the work of Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. Altman pursued his undergraduate degree in physics at MIT, where he was influenced by the research of Norbert Wiener and John Slater. He then moved to Columbia University to pursue his graduate studies in physics, but soon became interested in biophysics and biochemistry, fields that were being explored by researchers at University of California, Berkeley and University of Cambridge. Altman's graduate work was supervised by Leonard Lerman, a prominent biophysicist who had worked with Linus Pauling and Emile Zuckerkandl.

● Career

Altman began his academic career as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University, where he worked with Matthew Meselson and Frank Stahl on the replication of DNA. He then moved to Yale University, where he established his own laboratory and began to explore the properties of RNA. Altman's research was influenced by the work of Severo Ochoa, H. Gobind Khorana, and Marshall Nirenberg, who had made significant contributions to the field of molecular biology. He also collaborated with researchers at University of Chicago, California Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology on various projects related to RNA biology and gene regulation.

● Research and Discoveries

Altman's most significant contribution to science was the discovery of catalytic RNA, which he made in collaboration with Thomas Cech and Norman Pace. This discovery challenged the traditional view that enzymes were the only biological molecules capable of catalyzing chemical reactions. Altman's work on ribozymes has had a profound impact on our understanding of molecular evolution and the origin of life, topics that have been explored by researchers at NASA, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and Scripps Research Institute. His research has also led to the development of new therapeutic approaches, including RNA interference and gene therapy, which have been explored by researchers at University of Oxford, University of California, San Francisco, and Duke University.

● Awards and Honors

Altman's contributions to science have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which he shared with Thomas Cech in 1989. He was also awarded the Lasker Award, the National Medal of Science, and the Wolf Prize in Medicine, which have been awarded to other prominent scientists, including James Watson, Francis Crick, and Rosalind Franklin. Altman was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Society, which have also honored other distinguished scientists, including Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

● Personal Life

Altman was a Canadian American who held dual citizenship of Canada and the United States. He was married to Ann Altman, and they had two children together. Altman was an avid hiker and naturalist, and he enjoyed spending time in the Rocky Mountains and the Adirondacks. He was also a talented pianist and enjoyed playing the music of Mozart and Chopin. Altman passed away on April 5, 2022, at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of scientific contributions that will continue to inspire future generations of researchers at Stanford University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Category:Canadian American scientists