Frederick Sanger

Insulin seq vertical

EBI and Sanger Center, Genome campus, Cambridgeshire

Frederick Sanger (13 August 1918 – 19 November 2013) was a British biochemist who twice won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry; first in 1958 for his work on the structure of proteins, especially that of insulin, and again in 1980, shared with Paul Berg and Walter Gilbert, for his contributions to the development of DNA sequencing techniques. Sanger is one of the very few individuals to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in the same or related field twice, and the only person to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice.

Early Life and Education

Frederick Sanger was born in Rendcomb, a small village in Gloucestershire, England, to Frederick Sanger, a general practitioner, and his wife, Cicely Sanger. He was educated at Bryanston School and went on to study natural sciences at Cambridge University, where he focused on biochemistry. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1939 and, supported by a scholarship, continued his research at Cambridge, earning his PhD in 1943.

Career and Research

Sanger began his career researching the metabolism of lysine, but his focus soon shifted to the structure of proteins. His early work involved developing methods to determine the amino acid sequence of proteins. Sanger's most notable achievement came in 1955 when he completed the full sequence of the two polypeptide chains of bovine insulin, a task that marked the first time a protein's amino acid sequence had been fully determined.

This groundbreaking work led to Sanger being awarded his first Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1958. His research laid the foundation for the field of proteomics, the study of the structure and function of proteins.

In the 1970s, Sanger shifted his focus to nucleic acids and developed the "Sanger method" or "dideoxy method" for sequencing DNA. This method became the standard for DNA sequencing and led to significant advancements in genetics and biotechnology. His contributions to this field were recognized with a second Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1980.

Legacy

Frederick Sanger's work has had a profound impact on the fields of biochemistry, genetics, and biotechnology. His methods for sequencing proteins and DNA have paved the way for numerous scientific breakthroughs, including the Human Genome Project. Sanger's dedication to research and his groundbreaking achievements have made him one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century.

Sanger retired in 1983, but his legacy continues through the Sanger Institute, a leading center for genome research named in his honor. His work has not only advanced scientific knowledge but has also had significant implications for medicine, agriculture, and forensic science.

Awards and Honours

In addition to his two Nobel Prizes, Sanger received numerous other awards and honors throughout his career, including the Copley Medal and the Order of Merit. He was a fellow of the Royal Society and a foreign member of several other national science academies.

Death

Frederick Sanger passed away on 19 November 2013, at the age of 95. His contributions to science continue to be celebrated and his methods are still widely used in research laboratories around the world.