Frederic Richards (1925-2009)

摘要

Frederic M. Richards, a leading light in the development of structural biology, died on 11 January at the age of 83.rnRichards was a seminal figure in protein science, having had a key role in shaping our fundamental understanding of protein structure and function. His contributions ranged from the early use and development of protein crystallography, to computational analysis of protein geometry, and to the development of chemical probes for the analysis of membrane proteins. Remarkably, throughout his career many of his most influential contributions stemmed from work carried out with his own hands.rnRichards came from old New England stock. His undergraduate education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was interrupted by service in the army during the Second World War, and was followed by a PhD degree at Harvard Medical School. His first and perhaps most striking contribution began in 1955, during his time as a postdoctoral fellow with Kaj Linderstrom-Lang at the Carlsberg Laboratory in Copenhagen, and continued after he joined Yale University - where he would remain throughout his scientific career.