CME INDIA Presentation by ⚜ Dr. M. Gowri Sankar, MD, Senior Assistant Professor, Dept. of General Medicine, Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore.
Today’s History Feature:
Prof. Dr. Dorothy Hodgkin
(May 12, 1910 – Jul 29, 1994)
💠British Chemist & Scientist
Her contributions…
🔹When Dorothy was 15 years old, she read a book called “Concerning the Nature of Things” written by Sir William Henry Bragg. This book aroused her curiosity to study the properties of atom and molecules by using X-rays.
🔹She had studied the subject of Chemistry at Sommerville college and Oxford University. And then did her Doctorate in University of Cambridge.
🔹In fact, Dorothy was one of the Pioneer scientists and was well known for her developing the X-ray Crystallography method. It was the key to study and understand the Three-Dimensional Structure of biochemical compounds.
🔹During the second world war, the penicillin was in a great demand and this forced her to find a remedy. Hence, she studied and discovered three-dimensional structure of Penicillin in 1945.
🔹The knowledge of the penicillin structure ultimately opened new avenues for developing semi-synthetic derivatives of penicillin which had initiated the creation of Antibiotic era.
🔹After that, she spent around 6 years – from 1948 to 1954 – exclusively, to discover the molecular structure of Vitamin B12 to fight against the deadly Pernicious anaemia.
🔹Eventually her passion was rewarded. She was the third women to be awarded with Nobel Prize for Chemistry for her extreme contribution in discovering the molecular structure of Vitamin B12.
🔹In 1934, she was given a crystalline Insulin to study its molecular structure when X-ray crystallography had not been developed. IN 1969 she successfully discovered its three-dimensional structure in her laboratory after her consistent work of 35 years.
🔹Moreover, she was recognized for determining the structure of steroids, vitamin D and cholesterol.
🔹Unfortunately after some time, she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis and later, she spent her days in a wheelchair. However, her passion for research work is immeasurable.
🔹Her words in her final stage…”I realise that for 90% of my life, I am dealing with failure and occasionally I have a success.”
A Day to Commemorate…
A Scientist with Sparkling Career and Analytical Brilliance
Prof. Dr. Dorothy Hodgkin 🙏🏼
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Salutation to Dr.Dorothy Hodgkin who had discovered X-ray crystallography method -a key to reveal the three dimentional structure of some important molecules such as Penicillin, Vit.B12, steroids, Vit D and Cholesterol which facilitated the semisynthetic derivatives of such molecules to be utilised for the suffering humanity.Thanks a lot to Dr.Gowri Sankar who inked the pages of Medicine with such write
up🙏
Great soul who’s innovative life continues to bless so many patients with hope and life. 🙏🏽🙏🏽💐💐