J. Heinrich Matthaei

Johann Heinrich Matthaei ( born May 4, 1929 in Bonn ) is a German biochemist and former Director at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine. He conducted research from 1960 to 1962 as a post-doctoral researcher at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. 1961, where he succeeded Marshall Warren Nirenberg, together with the first identification of a genetic coding unit. Nirenberg was awarded in 1968 for the joint research the Nobel Prize.

Matthaei designed and performed the important experimental series of poly -U by experiment which led to the decryption of the codon for the amino acid phenylalanine UUU and thus for the identification of said first code word on 27 May 1961. As a result of the experiment together with Marshall Nirenberg succeeded him the elucidation of the essential Alphabet ingredients. The genetic code was broken. The experiment marked the end of a global race to the understanding of the genetic code. The following complete deciphering of codes opened the main experimental approach to molecular genetics.

Matthaei and Nirenberg have published their work with a strictly alternating authorship. Thus, the same author weight is stressed out. After his decisive discovery Matthaei published a variety of results that contribute to the understanding of the function of the genetic code in gene expression, especially of protein biosynthesis. His habilitation thesis in 1966 entitled The biochemical analysis of the genetic code.

Today Heinrich Matthaei lives as Emeritus of the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen.

Publications

  • Matthaei, J. H. & Nirenberg, M. W. (1961 ): Characteristics and stabilization of DNAase - sensitive protein synthesis in E. coli extracts. In: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. vol 47, p 1580-1588. PMID 14471391, PMC 223177 ( free full text )
  • Nirenberg, M. W. & Matthaei, J. H. (1961 ): The dependence of cell - free protein synthesis in E. coli upon naturally Occurring or synthetic polyribonucleotides. In: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. vol 47, p 1588-1602. PMID 14479932 ( doi: 10.1073/pnas.47.10.1588 )
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