Alfred Mirsky

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Alfred E. Mirsky, 1935

Alfred Ezra Mirsky (October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1974) was an American molecular biologist and geneticist known for his pioneering work in the field of chromosome structure and protein chemistry. He made significant contributions to the understanding of DNA and its role in heredity.

Early Life and Education

Alfred Mirsky was born in New York City, New York. He attended the Horace Mann School and later graduated from Harvard University in 1922 with a degree in biochemistry. He then went on to study at the University of Cambridge under the guidance of Lawrence J. Henderson and Joseph Barcroft. Mirsky earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1926.

Career and Research

Mirsky joined the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now Rockefeller University) in 1927, where he worked for the majority of his career. His early research focused on the physical and chemical properties of proteins, particularly hemoglobin.

In the 1930s, Mirsky collaborated with Linus Pauling to study the denaturation and renaturation of proteins, which laid the groundwork for understanding protein folding. This work was crucial in the development of the concept that the primary structure of a protein determines its three-dimensional structure.

Mirsky is perhaps best known for his work on chromosomes. In the 1940s, he and his colleague Hans Ris demonstrated that DNA is a major component of chromosomes, providing key evidence for the role of DNA in heredity. This work was instrumental in the eventual discovery of the double helix structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick.

Personal Life

Alfred Mirsky was married to Reba Paeff Mirsky, a children's book author. They had two children, Jonathan Mirsky and Jeanne Mirsky.

Legacy

Mirsky's contributions to molecular biology and genetics have had a lasting impact on the field. His work on protein chemistry and chromosome structure has been foundational for modern genomics and biotechnology.

Selected Publications

• Mirsky, A. E., & Pauling, L. (1936). On the Structure of Native, Denatured, and Coagulated Proteins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 22(7), 439-447.
• Mirsky, A. E., & Ris, H. (1951). The Desoxyribonucleic Acid Content of Animal Cells and its Evolutionary Significance. Journal of General Physiology, 34(4), 451-462.

See Also

• Molecular biology
• Genetics
• Protein folding
• Chromosome
• DNA