Jean Brachet

Jean Louis Auguste Brachet ( born March 19, 1909 in Etterbeek, † 10 August 1988) was a Belgian biochemist. He is known for discovering the fundamental role of RNA in the cell and for biochemical studies on morphogenesis.

Brachet studied medicine at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, where his father, Albert Brachet (1869-1930) was professor of embryology, with the conclusion of 1934. Afterwards, he conducted research at the University of Cambridge, Princeton University, and various laboratories of Marine Biology ( Sète, Roscoff, Naples, Woods Hole ). He was from 1938 Professor of Biology at the Free University of Brussels and Director of Research at the International Laboratory of Genetics and Biophysics in Naples.

He is known for discoveries about the important role of ribonucleic acid ( RNA) into cells. In 1933 he showed that DNA found in chromosomes in the nucleus, RNA, however, in the cytoplasm of all cells. Independently Torbjörn Caspersson he showed the role of RNA in protein synthesis. He also made significant contributions to cell differentiation. For example, he showed that, before the differentiation of the cell new ribosomes are formed and large amounts of m- RNA.

In 1967 he received the HP Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1969, the Prix Charles -Léopold Mayer and 1948 the Francqui price. In 1966, he became a foreign member of the Royal Society. In 1962 he was elected a member of the Scholars Academy Leopoldina.

His daughter Lise Brachet wrote his biography.

Writings

• Biochemical Cytology, Academic Press 1957
• The Biochemistry of Development, Pergamon Press 1960
• The Biological Role of Ribonucleic Acids, Elsevier 1960
• Chemical Embryology, Interscience, New York, 1950, Hafner 1968 ( French Paris, Masson 1944)
• Introduction to molecular embryology, Springer 1974