Cao Tianqin | |||||||||
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| Born | 5 December 1920 Beijing, China | ||||||||
| Died | 8 January 1995 (aged 74) Shanghai, China | ||||||||
| Alma mater | Yenching University University of Cambridge | ||||||||
| Known for | Discovery of myosin light chain | ||||||||
| Spouse | Xie Xide | ||||||||
| Scientific career | |||||||||
| Fields | Biochemistry | ||||||||
| Institutions | University of Cambridge Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry | ||||||||
| Doctoral advisor | Kenneth Bailey | ||||||||
| Notable students | Zhang Youshang, Qi Zhengwu, Li Zaiping, Peng Jiamu | ||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 曹天钦 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 曹天欽 | ||||||||
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Cao Tianqin (Chinese: 曹天钦; 5 December 1920 – 8 January 1995), also known as Tien-chin Tsao,[1] was a Chinese biochemist and a professor at the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry. With a research focus on muscle protein, he discovered the myosin light chain and pioneered the study of tropomyosin and paramyosin using electron microscopes. He was a strong advocate and main leader for the synthesis of insulin, and spearheaded the research of plant viruses in China.
An academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, he served as President of the CAS Shanghai Branch. He was the husband of the renowned physicist Xie Xide.