Irwin C. Gunsalus | |
---|---|
Born | Sully County, South Dakota,, U.S. | June 29, 1912
Died | October 25, 2008 | (aged 96)
Alma mater | Cornell University |
Known for | Discovery of lipoic acid |
Spouse(s) | Merle Lamont Gunsalus,[1] Carolyn Foust Gunsalus,[1] Dorothy Clark Gunsalus[1] |
Children | 7 |
Awards | Guggenheim fellowship (1949) Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology (1982) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Biochemistry |
Institutions | Cornell University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology |
Doctoral students | Willis A. Wood |
Other notable students | James D. Watson Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty |
Irwin C. "Gunny" Gunsalus (June 29, 1912 – October 25, 2008) was an American biochemist who discovered lipoic acid, a vitamin-like substance (an enzyme cofactor) that has been used as a treatment for chronic liver disease, and pyridoxal phosphate, one of the active forms of vitamin B6. In his role as assistant secretary general at the United Nations, he led the international body's research on genetic engineering.