Max L. Birnstiel | |
|---|---|
 Max Birnstiel in approximately 1990 | |
| Born | 12 July 1933 Brazil |
| Died | 15 November 2014 (aged 81) Wollerau, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Alma mater | ETH Zurich |
| Known for | Study of eukaryotic gene regulation |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Molecular biology |
| Institutions | |
| Doctoral advisor | Albert Frey-Wyssling |
| Notable students | |
Max Luciano Birnstiel (12 July 1933 – 15 November 2014) was a Swiss molecular biologist who held a number of positions in scientific leadership in Europe, including the chair of the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Zurich from 1972–86, and that of founding director of the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna from 1986 to 1996.[1] His research focused on gene regulation in eukaryotes. His research group is sometimes cited as the first to purify single genes, the ribosomal RNA genes from Xenopus laevis, three years before the successful isolation of the lac operon.[2] He is also recognized for one of the earliest discoveries of a gene enhancer element.[3] Birnstiel died in 2014 of heart failure during cancer treatment.[3]
- ^ "CV, Max Birnstiel". Institute of Molecular Life Sciences. University of Zurich. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ Grunstein, Michael; Bird, Adrian (13 January 2015). "Max Birnstiel 1933–2014: Gene pioneer". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (2): 302–303. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112..302G. doi:10.1073/pnas.1423755112. PMC 4299252. PMID 25556180.
- ^ a b Schatz, Gottfried (January 2015). "Max L. Birnstiel (1933–2014)". Cell. 160 (1–2): 11–12. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2014.12.030.