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Albert Lester Lehninger (February 17, 1917 – March 4, 1986) was an American chemist in the field of bioenergetics. He made fundamental contributions to the current understanding of metabolism at a molecular level. In 1948, he discovered, with Eugene P. Kennedy, that mitochondria are the site of oxidative phosphorylation in eukaryotes, which ushered in the modern study of energy transduction. He is the author of a number of classic texts, including: Biochemistry, The Mitochondrion, Bioenergetics and, most notably, his series Principles of Biochemistry. This last is a widely used text for introductory biochemistry courses at the college and university levels.

Early life and education

Lehninger was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, US. He earned his BA in English from Wesleyan University (1939) and went on to earn both his MA (1940) and PhD (1942) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His doctoral research involved the metabolism of acetoacetate and fatty acid oxidation by liver cells.

Academic career

After earning his doctorate in biochemistry, Lehninger held various faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Chicago. In 1952, he went to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, assuming the title of DeLamar Professor of the Department of Biological Chemistry. He served in this position until 1978, when he was appointed to the role of University Professor of Medical Sciences. He held this title until his death in 1986.

Honors and awards

• 1948 – Paul-Lewis Award in Enzyme Chemistry
• 1951 – Guggenheim Fellowship
• 1956 – Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
• 1959 – Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 1969 – Remsen Award of the American Chemical Society
• 1970 – American Philosophical Society
• 1986 – Passano Foundation Award

References

1. ^ Kresge, Nicole; Simoni, Robert D.; Hill, Robert L. (April 8, 2005). "The ATP Requirement for Fatty Acid Oxidation: the Early Work of Albert L. Lehninger". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280 (14). The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: 146–147.
2. ^ Lane, M. Daniel; Talala, Paul (1986). "Albert Lester Lehninger 1917–1986". Journal of Membrane Biology. 91 (3): 193–197. doi:10.1007/BF01868813. PMID 3528502. S2CID 12180652.
3. "The Albert L. Lehninger Collection". Repository Guide to the Personal Papers Collections of Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives. Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
4. ^ "ASBMB Past Presidents". American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
5. "All Fellows". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
6. "Albert Lester Lehninger". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2022-08-31.
7. "Ira Remsen Award". Maryland Section. 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
8. "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2022-08-31.

External links

• Forthcoming in New Dictionary of Scientific Biography

• 1917 births
• 1986 deaths
• 20th-century American biochemists
• American science writers
• American textbook writers
• Medical educators
• American science teachers
• People from Bridgeport, Connecticut
• Wesleyan University alumni
• University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
• University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty
• University of Chicago faculty
• Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
• 20th-century American male writers
• 20th-century American non-fiction writers
• American male non-fiction writers
• Members of the National Academy of Medicine
• Members of the American Philosophical Society