Donald Caspar: Difference between revisions
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'''Donald L. D. Caspar''' (born January 8, 1927) is an American structural biologist (the very term he coined) known for his works on the structures of biological molecules, particularly of the tobacco mosaic virus.<ref name="cold spring">{{cite web|title=Don Caspar|url=http://library.cshl.edu/oralhistory/speaker/don-caspar/|work=Oral History Collection|publisher=Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory|accessdate=21 January 2015}}</ref><ref name=wsf>{{cite web|title=Donald Caspar|url=http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/participants/donald_caspar/|website=World Science Festival|publisher=Science Festival Foundation|accessdate=21 January 2015}}</ref> He is an emeritus professor of biological science at the Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University,<ref name=fsu>{{cite web|title=Donald L. D. Caspar|url=http://www.sb.fsu.edu/~caspar/|publisher=Florida State University}}</ref> and an emeritus professor of biology at the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University.<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald L. D. Caspar|url=http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/faculty/caspar.html|publisher=Brandeis University|accessdate=21 January 2015}}</ref> He has made significant scientific contributions in structural biology, [[x-ray diffraction|x-ray]], [[neutron diffraction|neutron]] and [[electron diffraction]], and protein plasticity. |
'''Donald L. D. Caspar''' (born January 8, 1927) is an American structural biologist (the very term he coined) known for his works on the structures of biological molecules, particularly of the tobacco mosaic virus.<ref name="cold spring">{{cite web|title=Don Caspar|url=http://library.cshl.edu/oralhistory/speaker/don-caspar/|work=Oral History Collection|publisher=Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory|accessdate=21 January 2015}}</ref><ref name=wsf>{{cite web|title=Donald Caspar|url=http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/participants/donald_caspar/|website=World Science Festival|publisher=Science Festival Foundation|accessdate=21 January 2015}}</ref> He is an emeritus professor of biological science at the Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University,<ref name=fsu>{{cite web|title=Donald L. D. Caspar|url=http://www.sb.fsu.edu/~caspar/|publisher=Florida State University}}</ref> and an emeritus professor of biology at the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University.<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald L. D. Caspar|url=http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/faculty/caspar.html|publisher=Brandeis University|accessdate=21 January 2015}}</ref> He has made significant scientific contributions in structural biology, [[x-ray diffraction|x-ray]], [[neutron diffraction|neutron]] and [[electron diffraction]], and protein plasticity. |
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Caspar completed his BA in physics from Cornell University in 1950. He joined Yale University from where he earned his PhD in biophysics in 1955.<ref name="cold spring"/> His thesis was on the structure of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). During 1955-1956 he went to England as post doctoral scholar to work under Rosalind Franklin at Birkbeck College in London. Their meeting was fruitful both personally and professionally. He remained one of Franklin's closest friends during her brief lifetime. In 1956 he and Franklin published individual but complimentary papers in 10 March issue of ''Nature'', together showing that [[RNA]] in TMV is wound along the inner surface of the hollow virus. |
Caspar completed his BA in physics from Cornell University in 1950. He joined Yale University from where he earned his PhD in biophysics in 1955.<ref name="cold spring"/> His thesis was on the structure of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). During 1955-1956 he went to England as post doctoral scholar to work under Rosalind Franklin at Birkbeck College in London. Their meeting was fruitful both personally and professionally. He remained one of Franklin's closest friends during her brief lifetime. In 1956 he and Franklin published individual but complimentary papers in 10 March issue of ''Nature'', together showing that [[RNA]] in TMV is wound along the inner surface of the hollow virus.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Franklin|first1=RE|title=Structure of Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Location of the Ribonucleic Acid in the Tobacco Mosaic Virus Particle|journal=Nature|year=1956|volume=177|issue=4516|pages=928–930|doi=10.1038/177928b0}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Casper|first1=D. L. D.|title=Structure of Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Radial Density Distribution in the Tobacco Mosaic Virus Particle|journal=Nature|year=1956|volume=177|issue=4516|pages=928–928|doi=10.1038/177928a0}}</ref> He was not a particularly enthusiastic writer such that Franklin had to write the every word for him.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Maddox|first1=Brenda|title=Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA|year=2003|publisher=HarperCollins|location=London|isbn=0-00-655211-0|page=269}}</ref> |
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In 1962, Caspar and [[Aaron Klug]] introduced the concept of [[quasi-equivalence]] to account for the arrangement of [[proteins]] on the surface of [[icosahedral]] [[virus]] particles.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Caspar DL, Klug A |journal=Cold Spring Harbor Symposium in Quantitative Biology |year= 1962 |volume=27 |pages=1–24 |title=Physical principles in the construction of regular viruses |pmid= 14019094}}</ref> [[Caspar-Klug theory]] has played an important part in shaping the subsequent study of viruses and other [[Macromolecular Assembly|macromolecular assemblies]]. The original concept was based mainly on [[electron microscope]] studies, and has now been refined to take account of the atomic resolution structure of [[viruses]], and other details of [[protein-protein interactions]] that [[crystallography]] has elucidated. Quasi-equivalence continues to be an important component of the philosophical basis for how we think about macromolecular assemblies.<ref name=fsu/> |
In 1962, Caspar and [[Aaron Klug]] introduced the concept of [[quasi-equivalence]] to account for the arrangement of [[proteins]] on the surface of [[icosahedral]] [[virus]] particles.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Caspar DL, Klug A |journal=Cold Spring Harbor Symposium in Quantitative Biology |year= 1962 |volume=27 |pages=1–24 |title=Physical principles in the construction of regular viruses |pmid= 14019094}}</ref> [[Caspar-Klug theory]] has played an important part in shaping the subsequent study of viruses and other [[Macromolecular Assembly|macromolecular assemblies]]. The original concept was based mainly on [[electron microscope]] studies, and has now been refined to take account of the atomic resolution structure of [[viruses]], and other details of [[protein-protein interactions]] that [[crystallography]] has elucidated. Quasi-equivalence continues to be an important component of the philosophical basis for how we think about macromolecular assemblies.<ref name=fsu/> |
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Revision as of 13:27, 21 January 2015
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Donald L. D. Caspar (born January 8, 1927) is an American structural biologist (the very term he coined) known for his works on the structures of biological molecules, particularly of the tobacco mosaic virus.[1][2] He is an emeritus professor of biological science at the Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University,[3] and an emeritus professor of biology at the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, Brandeis University.[4] He has made significant scientific contributions in structural biology, x-ray, neutron and electron diffraction, and protein plasticity.
Caspar completed his BA in physics from Cornell University in 1950. He joined Yale University from where he earned his PhD in biophysics in 1955.[1] His thesis was on the structure of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). During 1955-1956 he went to England as post doctoral scholar to work under Rosalind Franklin at Birkbeck College in London. Their meeting was fruitful both personally and professionally. He remained one of Franklin's closest friends during her brief lifetime. In 1956 he and Franklin published individual but complimentary papers in 10 March issue of Nature, together showing that RNA in TMV is wound along the inner surface of the hollow virus.[5][6] He was not a particularly enthusiastic writer such that Franklin had to write the every word for him.[7]
In 1962, Caspar and Aaron Klug introduced the concept of quasi-equivalence to account for the arrangement of proteins on the surface of icosahedral virus particles.[8] Caspar-Klug theory has played an important part in shaping the subsequent study of viruses and other macromolecular assemblies. The original concept was based mainly on electron microscope studies, and has now been refined to take account of the atomic resolution structure of viruses, and other details of protein-protein interactions that crystallography has elucidated. Quasi-equivalence continues to be an important component of the philosophical basis for how we think about macromolecular assemblies.[3]
He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Don Caspar". Oral History Collection. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Donald Caspar". World Science Festival. Science Festival Foundation. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Donald L. D. Caspar". Florida State University.
- ^ "Donald L. D. Caspar". Brandeis University. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ^ Franklin, RE (1956). "Structure of Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Location of the Ribonucleic Acid in the Tobacco Mosaic Virus Particle". Nature. 177 (4516): 928–930. doi:10.1038/177928b0.
- ^ Casper, D. L. D. (1956). "Structure of Tobacco Mosaic Virus: Radial Density Distribution in the Tobacco Mosaic Virus Particle". Nature. 177 (4516): 928–928. doi:10.1038/177928a0.
- ^ Maddox, Brenda (2003). Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA. London: HarperCollins. p. 269. ISBN 0-00-655211-0.
- ^ Caspar DL, Klug A (1962). "Physical principles in the construction of regular viruses". Cold Spring Harbor Symposium in Quantitative Biology. 27: 1–24. PMID 14019094.
External links
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