- 著者
- Natsuki Hayami Sachi Sri Kantha
- 出版者
- The United Graduate Schools of Agricultural Sciences, Japan
- 雑誌
- Reviews in Agricultural Science (ISSN:2187090X)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.5, pp.83-99, 2017 (Released:2019-03-29)
- 参考文献数
- 202
The Nobel Prizes awarded in two appropriate science categories (chemistry as well as physiology or medicine) and the peace category since 1901 were studied to evaluate the plant science related research that had received recognition. We also checked the Nobel prize nomination database for the two appropriate science categories to verify the number of scientists (with research reputation on plant-based studies) who were nominated, but were unlucky in the eventual selection process. The focus of this review is research on plant materials in a wider sense (including that of photosynthetic bacteria), that received Nobel prize recognition. Until 2017, Nobel Prizes for research in plant sciences have been awarded 17 times to 20 scientists. Pioneering work on five major research themes, namely, (1) chlorophyll and photosynthesis, (2) elucidation of the structure of vitamins (carotene, thiamin, ascorbic acid and vitamin K), (3) use of radioisotopes for metabolism studies, (4) plant natural product chemistry and (5) plant genetics had received Nobel award recognition so far. For future recognition, Nobel laureates such as Melvin Calvin and Barbara McClintock had opined the worth of interdisciplinary teams with expertise in botany for trend-setting new discoveries in plant science research. We predict that pioneering studies along the line of plants that can grow in a dessert or sea, plants which can be an enriched source of fuel and hydrocarbon-like materials may have potential to be considered for a Nobel Prize for plant science research.
- 著者
- Sachi Sri Kantha
- 出版者
- The Keio Journal of Medicine
- 雑誌
- The Keio Journal of Medicine (ISSN:00229717)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.40, no.1, pp.35-39, 1991 (Released:2009-03-27)
- 参考文献数
- 34
- 被引用文献数
- 18 39
The significance of the 1890 tetanus antitoxin paper by von Behring and Kitasato in the development of a new discipline, immunology, is reviewed. The possible reasons why Kitasato lost the first Nobel Prize for medicine to von Behring are presented. These are as follows: (1) The Nobel selection committee literally interpreted Alfred Nobel's will to award the prize to “the person who has made the most important discovery.” (2) In the late 19th century, diphtheria was a serious contagious disease which claimed many thousands of lives in the Europe and America; and von Behring's solely authored paper on diphtheria antitoxin clinched the award for him. (3) The merit of tetanus antitoxin to humans, which was the focal point of the 1890 paper on tetanus antitoxin jointly authored by von Behring and Kitasato, was not recognized at the time of the award in 1901; it became apparent only during the First World War.