Albert Szent-Györgyi Autograph

Profession:
(1893 - 1986) Hungarian physiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937

Year of Birth: 1893

Albert Szent-Györgyi was a Hungarian physiologist, biochemist, and Nobel laureate who substantially contributed to the understanding of cellular respiration and the discovery of vitamin C. He was born in Budapest, Hungary on September 16, 1893. Szent-Györgyi’s father was an engineer and his mother was a medical doctor. From a young age, he was passionate about science and pursued his interest throughout his life.

Szent-Györgyi initially attended the University of Budapest, but transferred to the University of Groningen in the Netherlands in 1913. During his studies, he focused on the physiology and chemistry of muscle contraction. He earned his medical degree in 1918 and continued his research at the University of Cambridge in England from 1921 to 1923. After returning to Hungary, Szent-Györgyi became a professor at the Institute for Medical Research in Budapest.

Throughout his career, Szent-Györgyi made numerous contributions to the field of biochemistry. In 1927, he discovered the role of phosphorylation in the energy transfer within cells. In 1930, he discovered the compound hexuronic acid, which he later named ascorbic acid (vitamin C). He also made significant advances in understanding the biochemistry of the Krebs cycle.

Szent-Györgyi’s work was recognized multiple times throughout his career, including being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937 for his discoveries in the biochemistry of the cell. He was also awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stephen from the Hungarian government in 1939.

Szent-Györgyi became politically active towards the end of his life. He was an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime and refused to become a member of the German Academy of Sciences. He also became a leader in the Hungarian resistance during World War II and was eventually arrested and sent to a concentration camp. In 1945, he was released and resumed his research, ultimately publishing his last paper in 1948. Szent-Györgyi died in Budapest in 1986.

Albert Szent-Györgyi was a pioneering scientist whose work laid the foundation for the field of biochemistry. His discoveries and contributions to the understanding of cellular respiration and vitamin C continue to be appreciated and have had a lasting impact on science and medicine.