Johann Deisenhofer

About Johann Deisenhofer

Who is it?: Biochemist
Birth Day: September 30, 1943
Birth Place: Zusamaltheim, Bavaria, Germany, German
Birth Sign: Libra
Residence: Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater: Technical University of Munich Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry
Known for: Crystallography Photosynthesis
Awards: Max Delbruck Prize (1986) Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1988)
Fields: Biophysics, Biochemistry
Institutions: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Doctoral advisor: Robert Huber
Website: www.utsouthwestern.edu/labs/deisenhofer

Johann Deisenhofer Net Worth

Johann Deisenhofer was born on September 30, 1943 in Zusamaltheim, Bavaria, Germany, German, is Biochemist. Johann Deisenhofer is a German biochemist known for determining the three-dimensional structure of the photosynthetic reaction centre. For the same, he was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1988. He shared the prize with Robert Huber and Hartmut Michel. Deisenhofer’s discovery of the structure was revolutionary as it augmented the general understanding of the mechanisms of photosynthesis and revealed similarities between the photosynthetic processes of plants and bacteria. His experience in the application of X-ray technology as a tool to analyse the structure of crystallized substances resulted in the first-ever mapping of the structure of those molecules involved in the chemical reaction integral to the conversion process. Interestingly, Deisenhofer’s fancy with the physical world commenced when he was a child. Much against the wishes of his farmer parents who deemed farming as a future for their son, Deisenhofer expressed his interest in academics. He was fascinated by the astronomical problems and the physical world and soon found his real calling in physics. During his graduation studies he drifted to biophysics, an upcoming genre of physics then. His most important work came in the decade of 1980s when he worked at the Max Planck Institute. Currently, Deisehofer lives in United States and serves as a professor at the Department of Biophysics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Johann Deisenhofer is a member of Scientists

💰 Net worth: Under Review

Some Johann Deisenhofer images

Biography/Timeline

1974

Deisenhofer earned his doctorate from the Technical University of Munich for research work done at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, West Germany, in 1974. He conducted research there until 1988, when he joined the scientific staff of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

1982

Together with Michel and Huber, Deisenhofer determined the three-dimensional structure of a protein complex found in certain photosynthetic bacteria. This membrane protein complex, called a photosynthetic reaction center, was known to play a crucial role in initiating a simple type of photosynthesis. Between 1982 and 1985, the three Scientists used X-ray crystallography to determine the exact arrangement of the more than 10,000 atoms that make up the protein complex. Their research increased the general understanding of the mechanisms of photosynthesis and revealed similarities between the photosynthetic processes of plants and bacteria.

2003

Deisenhofer currently serves on the board of advisors of Scientists and Engineers for America, an organization focused on promoting sound science in American government. In 2003 he was one of 22 Nobel Laureates who signed the Humanist Manifesto. He is currently a Professor at the Department of Biophysics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.