WhatIsBiotechnology
@wibiotechnology.bsky.social
WhatIsBiotechnology is a leading educational and public engagement platform that brings together the stories about the sciences, people and places that have enabled biotechnology to transform medicine and the world we live in today.
1/ On 21 Nov 1959 Rosalyn Yalow and Soloman Berson published their radioimmunoassay method opening up a new era in immunology and diagnostics.
November 21, 2025 at 8:24 AM
1/ On 21 Nov 1959 Rosalyn Yalow and Soloman Berson published their radioimmunoassay method opening up a new era in immunology and diagnostics.
1. James B Collip was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 20 Nov 1892. Collip was a Canadian biochemist refined methods to remove and purify insulin.
November 20, 2025 at 9:03 AM
1. James B Collip was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, 20 Nov 1892. Collip was a Canadian biochemist refined methods to remove and purify insulin.
1/ James B Sumner was born in Canton MA, USA, 19 Nov 1887. Sumner was a biochemist who showed that enzymes are proteins and can be crystalised, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1946.
November 19, 2025 at 8:54 AM
1/ James B Sumner was born in Canton MA, USA, 19 Nov 1887. Sumner was a biochemist who showed that enzymes are proteins and can be crystalised, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1946.
1/ Gladys Hobby was born on 19 Nov 1910. Hobby was a microbiologist whose work was pivotal to scaling up the production of penicillin in World War II and the development of other antibiotics.
November 19, 2025 at 8:53 AM
1/ Gladys Hobby was born on 19 Nov 1910. Hobby was a microbiologist whose work was pivotal to scaling up the production of penicillin in World War II and the development of other antibiotics.
1/ George E Palade was born in Iasi, Romania, on 19 Nov 1912. Palade was a cell biologist who helped determine cell function and organisation.
November 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
1/ George E Palade was born in Iasi, Romania, on 19 Nov 1912. Palade was a cell biologist who helped determine cell function and organisation.
1/ Earl W Sutherland was born in Burlingame, Kansas, USA, 19 Nov 1915. Sutherland was a pharmacologist and biochemist who helped work out the action of hormones at the molecular level.
November 19, 2025 at 8:49 AM
1/ Earl W Sutherland was born in Burlingame, Kansas, USA, 19 Nov 1915. Sutherland was a pharmacologist and biochemist who helped work out the action of hormones at the molecular level.
1/ Fred Sanger, the inventor of DNA sequencing, died age of 95 on 19 Nov 2013. He was awarded a #NobelPrize twice: 1958 for determining the structure of insulin and 1980 for his pioneering DNA sequencing method.
November 19, 2025 at 8:47 AM
1/ Fred Sanger, the inventor of DNA sequencing, died age of 95 on 19 Nov 2013. He was awarded a #NobelPrize twice: 1958 for determining the structure of insulin and 1980 for his pioneering DNA sequencing method.
1/ George Wald was born in New York City, USA, 18 Nov 1906. Wald was a biologist renowned for his research on how the eye passes images to the brain. In the early 1930s he discovered that vitamin A was an important component in rhodopsin, a light-sensitive biological pigment found in the retina.
November 18, 2025 at 9:16 AM
1/ George Wald was born in New York City, USA, 18 Nov 1906. Wald was a biologist renowned for his research on how the eye passes images to the brain. In the early 1930s he discovered that vitamin A was an important component in rhodopsin, a light-sensitive biological pigment found in the retina.
November 2025 marks 70 years since Niels Jerne published a theory about antibody formation that revolutionised immunology. A new exhibition commemorates the landmark www.whatisbiotechnology.org/index.php/ex...
November 17, 2025 at 3:39 PM
November 2025 marks 70 years since Niels Jerne published a theory about antibody formation that revolutionised immunology. A new exhibition commemorates the landmark www.whatisbiotechnology.org/index.php/ex...
1/ Pierre Paul Émile Roux was born in Confolens, Francem 17 Nov 1853. A physician, bacteriologist and immunologist, Roux made his name working on diphtheria, a once fatal disease. In 1883 he helped to show that the disease was caused by a toxin secreted by the diphtheria bacillus.
November 17, 2025 at 3:33 PM
1/ Pierre Paul Émile Roux was born in Confolens, Francem 17 Nov 1853. A physician, bacteriologist and immunologist, Roux made his name working on diphtheria, a once fatal disease. In 1883 he helped to show that the disease was caused by a toxin secreted by the diphtheria bacillus.
1/ Hans Zinsser was born in New York City, USA, 17 Nov 1878. A physician and bacteriologist, Zinsser isolated the bacterium that causes typhus and developed a protective vaccine against it.
November 17, 2025 at 3:32 PM
1/ Hans Zinsser was born in New York City, USA, 17 Nov 1878. A physician and bacteriologist, Zinsser isolated the bacterium that causes typhus and developed a protective vaccine against it.
1/ Stanley Cohen was born in Brooklyn, NY, USA, 17 Nov 1922. Cohen was a biochemist who received the #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986 for helping to isolate the nerve growth factor that induces the differentiation of nerve tissue.
November 17, 2025 at 3:31 PM
1/ Stanley Cohen was born in Brooklyn, NY, USA, 17 Nov 1922. Cohen was a biochemist who received the #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine in 1986 for helping to isolate the nerve growth factor that induces the differentiation of nerve tissue.
November 15th 2025 marks 70 years since Niels Jerne, a London-born Danish immunologist, published a hypothesis about antibody formation that laid the foundation for modern immunology. To view the exhibition go to www.whatisbiotechnology.org/index.php/ex...
November 14, 2025 at 3:18 PM
November 15th 2025 marks 70 years since Niels Jerne, a London-born Danish immunologist, published a hypothesis about antibody formation that laid the foundation for modern immunology. To view the exhibition go to www.whatisbiotechnology.org/index.php/ex...
1/ Edward A Doisy was born in Hume, Illinois, USA, 13 Nov 1893. Doisy was a biochemist who helped isolate two forms of vitamin K and determine their chemical structure in 1936-39, for which he received the #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943.
November 13, 2025 at 8:49 AM
1/ Edward A Doisy was born in Hume, Illinois, USA, 13 Nov 1893. Doisy was a biochemist who helped isolate two forms of vitamin K and determine their chemical structure in 1936-39, for which he received the #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943.
1/ Joseph G Hamilton was born in the USA on 11 Nov 1907. Hamilton was a medical physicist who worked with the Manhattan Project to establish the safety of working with plutonium for laboratory personnel.
November 11, 2025 at 9:07 AM
1/ Joseph G Hamilton was born in the USA on 11 Nov 1907. Hamilton was a medical physicist who worked with the Manhattan Project to establish the safety of working with plutonium for laboratory personnel.
1/ Marie Curie, nee Sklodowska, was born in Warsaw, Russian Empire (now Poland) on 7 Nov 1867. Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, in 1903, and the first person to win it twice, in 1911.
November 7, 2025 at 9:15 AM
1/ Marie Curie, nee Sklodowska, was born in Warsaw, Russian Empire (now Poland) on 7 Nov 1867. Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, in 1903, and the first person to win it twice, in 1911.
1/ Norton D Zinder was born in New York City, USA, on 7 Nov 1928. Zinder was a biologist who discovered how hereditary information is transferred from one organism to another. The process is known as genetic transduction.
November 7, 2025 at 9:11 AM
1/ Norton D Zinder was born in New York City, USA, on 7 Nov 1928. Zinder was a biologist who discovered how hereditary information is transferred from one organism to another. The process is known as genetic transduction.
1/ Eric R Kandel was born in Vienna, Austria, on 7 Nov 1929. Kandel is a neuroscientist who won the 2000 #NobelPrize for Medicine for working out the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons. He determined this on the basis of studying Aplysia californica, a sea slug.
November 7, 2025 at 9:10 AM
1/ Eric R Kandel was born in Vienna, Austria, on 7 Nov 1929. Kandel is a neuroscientist who won the 2000 #NobelPrize for Medicine for working out the physiological basis of memory storage in neurons. He determined this on the basis of studying Aplysia californica, a sea slug.
1/ Delighted to share this new piece on AI in biomedical science. Although AI use in biomedical science has expanded rapidly in recent years, its underlying tools have existed for many years.
November 5, 2025 at 2:23 PM
1/ Delighted to share this new piece on AI in biomedical science. Although AI use in biomedical science has expanded rapidly in recent years, its underlying tools have existed for many years.
1/ On 5 Nov 2015 one year old Lalya Richards was given an experimental form of gene therapy using genetically engineered immune cells from a donor to help treat her acute lymphoblastic leukaemia which she had from when she was just three months old.
November 5, 2025 at 2:18 PM
1/ On 5 Nov 2015 one year old Lalya Richards was given an experimental form of gene therapy using genetically engineered immune cells from a donor to help treat her acute lymphoblastic leukaemia which she had from when she was just three months old.
1/ James E Rothman was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA, 3 Nov 1950. A biochemist and cell biologist by training, Rothman was awarded the #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine in 2013.
November 3, 2025 at 9:11 AM
1/ James E Rothman was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA, 3 Nov 1950. A biochemist and cell biologist by training, Rothman was awarded the #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine in 2013.
1/ Jokichi Takamine was born in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, 3 Nov 1854. Takamine was the first to isolate and purify the hormone adrenalin from animal glands. It was the first effective bronchodilator for asthma.
November 3, 2025 at 9:09 AM
1/ Jokichi Takamine was born in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Japan, 3 Nov 1854. Takamine was the first to isolate and purify the hormone adrenalin from animal glands. It was the first effective bronchodilator for asthma.
1/ Michael Neuberger was born in London, UK, 2 Nov 1953. A pioneer of antibody engineering, Neuberger developed some of the first techniques for the generation of chimeric and humanised antibodies. He also helped create the first transgenic mice for the production of human monoclonal antibodies.
November 2, 2025 at 3:17 PM
1/ Michael Neuberger was born in London, UK, 2 Nov 1953. A pioneer of antibody engineering, Neuberger developed some of the first techniques for the generation of chimeric and humanised antibodies. He also helped create the first transgenic mice for the production of human monoclonal antibodies.
1/ On this day, 31 Oct 1954 Linus Pauling was awarded the #NobelPrize. Pauling was an American chemist and biochemist who helped pioneer quantum chemistry and mechanics. He combined methods from x-ray crystallography, molecular model building and quantum chemistry.
October 31, 2025 at 8:51 AM
1/ On this day, 31 Oct 1954 Linus Pauling was awarded the #NobelPrize. Pauling was an American chemist and biochemist who helped pioneer quantum chemistry and mechanics. He combined methods from x-ray crystallography, molecular model building and quantum chemistry.
1/ Ragnar Granit was born in Helsinki, Finland, 30 Oct 1900. Granit was a physiologist who was jointly awarded #NobelPrize for Medicine in 1967 for demonstrating the internal electrical changes that take place in the eye when exposed to light.
October 30, 2025 at 8:47 AM
1/ Ragnar Granit was born in Helsinki, Finland, 30 Oct 1900. Granit was a physiologist who was jointly awarded #NobelPrize for Medicine in 1967 for demonstrating the internal electrical changes that take place in the eye when exposed to light.