Robert F. Furchgott

Robert F. Furchgott
Born	Robert Francis Furchgott June 4, 1916 Charleston, South Carolina
Died	May 19, 2009(2009-05-19) (aged 92) Seattle, Washington
Citizenship	American
Nationality	United States
Fields	biochemistry
Institutions	SUNY Downstate Medical Center 1956-2009 Washington University in St. Louis 1949-1956
Notable awards	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998
Spouse	Lenore Mandelbaum (1941-1983; her death; 3 children) Margaret Gallagher Roth (?-2006; her death)
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Robert Francis Furchgott (June 4, 1916 – May 19, 2009) was a Nobel Prize-winning American biochemist.

Life and career

Furchgott was born in Charleston, South Carolina, to Arthur Furchgott (December 1884 - January 1971), a department store owner, and Pena (Sorentrue) Furchgott. He graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1937 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, received his Ph.D in biochemistry at Northwestern University in 1940. He was faculty member of Washington University School of Medicine from 1949 to 1956. From 1956 to 2009, he was professor of pharmacology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center.

In 1978, Furchgott discovered a substance in endothelial cells that relaxes blood vessels, calling it endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF). By 1986, he had worked out EDRF's nature and mechanism of action, and determined that EDRF was in fact nitric oxide (NO), an important compound in many aspects of cardiovascular physiology. This research was important in explaining the action of Viagra, treatment of blue babies, and other medical and health-related issues.

In addition to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine he shared in 1998 (with Louis Ignarro and Ferid Murad), Furchgott also received a Gairdner Foundation International Award for his groundbreaking discoveries (1991) and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (1996), the latter also with Ferid Murad.

Furchgott, who was Jewish, lived for most of his married and career life in Woodmere, NY (Long Island). He was married to Lenore Mandelbaum (February 1915 - April 1983) from 1941 until she died aged 68. They had three daughters: Jane, Susan and Terry. His daughter, Susan, was a prolific artist in the San Francisco counter culture and a co-founder of the Kerista Commune (she was also known as "Even Eve" and "Eve Furchgott"). Robert Furchgott later married Margaret Gallagher Roth, who died March 14, 2006. He served as a professor emeritus at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. In 2008 he moved to Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood. Furchgott died on May 19, 2009 in Seattle. He is survived by his three daughters, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

See also

• List of Jewish Nobel laureates

References

• Raju, T N (2000), "The Nobel chronicles. 1998: Robert Francis Furchgott (b 1911), Louis J Ignarro (b 1941), and Ferid Murad (b 1936).", Lancet (2000 Jul 22) 356 (9226): 346, PMID 11071225 
• Rabelink, A J (1998), "Nobel prize in Medicine and Physiology 1998 for the discovery of the role of nitric oxide as a signalling molecule", Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde (1998 Dec 26) 142 (52): 2828–30, PMID 10065255 
• Laufs, U; Erdmann, E (1998), "Nitric oxide as a signal molecule in the cardiovascular system. Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1998", Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. (1998 Dec 18) 123 (51–52): 1562–5, doi:10.1055/s-0029-1237297, PMID 9893684 
• Hansson, G K; Jörnvall, H; Lindahl, S G (1998), "The Nobel Prize 1998 in physiology or medicine. Nitrogen oxide as a signal molecule in the cardiovascular system", Ugeskr. Laeg. (1998 Dec 21) 160 (52): 7571–8, PMID 9889673 
• Nielsen, T T; Sørensen, K E (1998), "Discovery of "endogenous nitroglycerin", NO, as cellular signal molecule", Ugeskr. Laeg. (1998 Dec 21) 160 (52): 7567, PMID 9889670 
• Mitka, M (1998), "1998 Nobel Prize winners are announced: three discoverers of nitric oxide activity", JAMA (1998 Nov 18) 280 (19): 1648, doi:10.1001/jama.280.19.1648, PMID 9831980 
• Hansson, G K; Jörnvall, H; Lindahl, S G (1998), "1998 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. Nitric oxide as a signal molecule in the cardiovascular system", Lakartidningen (1998 Oct 21) 95 (43): 4703–8, PMID 9821753 
• Furchgott, R F (1996), "The 1996 Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards. The discovery of endothelium-derived relaxing factor and its importance in the identification of nitric oxide", JAMA (1996 Oct 9) 276 (14): 1186–8, doi:10.1001/jama.276.14.1186, PMID 8827976 

External links

• The Robert F. Furchgott Society
• Furchgott's autobiography (until 1998, at nobelprize.org)
• His laboratory's webpage
• Robert Furchgott - Daily Telegraph obituary