Albert von Szent-Györgyi Nagyrápolt was an American physiologist born in Hungary who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937 “for his discoveries in connection with biological combustion processes, with special reference to vitamin C and fumaric acid catalysis.” His research on muscular contractions was a game-changer in the field of muscle science. Sir Hans Krebs’ description of the whole conversion cycle – dubbed “the Krebs cycle” – was based on his studies. He studied’submolecular’ biology, which involves the application of quantum physics to biological processes. Later in life, he developed a strong interest in cancer and was one of the first researchers to look at free radicals as a possible cause of the fatal disease. ‘The Crazy Ape,’ ‘On Oxidation, Fermentation, Vitamins, Health, and Disease,’ ‘Chemical Physiology of Contractions in Body and Heart Muscle,’ and ‘Introduction to a Submolecular Biology’ were among his many popular writings over his long and famous scientific career. During World War I, he served on the front lines, and during World War II, he was a member of the Hungarian Resistance Movement. He became a Member of Parliament when the war ended. He also received the Lasker Award in Basic Medical Research in 1954, in addition to the illustrious Nobel Prize.
Childhood and Adolescence
Szent-Györgyi was born in Budapest, Hungary, on September 16, 1893. His father, Nicolaus von Szent-Györgyi, was a landowner, and his mother, Josefine Lenhossék, was a member of the well-known Lenhossék family.
Joseph Lenhossék, his maternal grandfather, and Michael Lenhossék, his maternal uncle, were both professors of anatomy at the University of Budapest. From a young age, this inspired his interest in science. The Lenhossék family valued music as well, and young Albert excelled at the piano.
He spent some time after his matriculation in 1911 studying at his uncle’s laboratory. He served on the Italian and Russian fronts when World War I broke out. However, because he was opposed to war, he became eager to return to his studies. In a desperate attempt to avoid his military responsibilities, he injured himself and was freed in 1917.
He finished his studies in Budapest after returning from the war. After that, he worked with pharmacologist G. Mansfeld in Pozsony, Armin von Tschermak in Prague, and L. Michaelis in Berlin, in that order. Later, he completed a two-year physical chemistry study at Hamburg’s Institute for Tropical Hygiene.
Career of Albert Szent-Györgyi
Szent-Györgyi began working as a research assistant at the University Institute of Pharmacology in Leiden in 1920. He worked at the Physiology Institute in Groningen, Netherlands, with H. J. Hamburger from 1922 to 1926.
In 1927, he received a Rockefeller Fellowship and went to Cambridge to work under F. G. Hopkins. Before returning to Cambridge, he spent a year at the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota. He was appointed to the Chair of Medical Chemistry at the University of Szeged in 1930, and the Chair of Organic Chemistry in 1935.
He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937 “for his discoveries in connection with the biological combustion process, with special reference to vitamin C and fumaric acid catalysis.”
While researching the biomechanics of muscle action in 1938, he identified the proteins actin, myosin, and their complexity. He discovered that combining these proteins with energy helped muscular contraction. His discoveries laid the foundation for muscle research for the next several decades.
During the Winter War of 1939–1940, he contributed his Nobel Prize money to Finland in support of Hungarian volunteers who traveled to Finland to fight the Soviet Union.
He was a supporter of the Hungarian Resistance Movement during WWII. He went to Cairo on a covert mission to start discussions with the Allies in 1944. When Hitler learned of the scheme, he issued a warrant for his arrest. He eluded house arrest, however, and spent a year on the run.
He had become a well-known figure by the end of the war. He was elected to Parliament and was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Academy of Sciences. He also created a laboratory and became the director of the biochemistry department at the University of Budapest.
He emigrated to the United States in 1947, dissatisfied with the Marxist rule in his nation. In the United States, he founded the Institute for Muscle Research in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, with financial assistance from Stephen Rath, a Hungarian industrialist. He was promoted to the position of Director of Research at the institute.
He began alternating his time between the two institutes after joining the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, as a researcher in 1948.
He began utilizing electron microscopes to investigate muscles at the subunit level in the 1950s. He also developed an interest in cancer and used quantum mechanics theories to cancer quantum biology.
He was awarded the Lasker Award in 1954. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States the following year. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1956.
He was a politically active man who, in 1967, signed a declaration refusing to pay taxes in protest of the United States’ Vietnam War. He also encouraged others to follow suit.
He became interested in free radicals as a possible cause of cancer later in life. On a molecular level, he saw cancer as an electronic problem.
After the death of Rath, his institute’s financier, he was in financial trouble. He declined to apply for government grants, however, because he was hesitant to divulge the finer points of his research ahead of time.
In 1973, he and attorney Franklin C. Salisbury co-founded the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), which transformed cancer research funding. Since then, the NFCR has invested over $275 million in cancer research.
He proposed to replace the term ‘negentropy’ with syntropy in 1974, based on his interests and studies in quantum physics.
Major Projects of Albert Szent-Györgyi
His early studies focused on cell respiration. He proved the existence of a reducing chemical in plant and animal tissues, as well as the dependency of oxygen and hydrogen activation.
He isolated the reducing chemical from adrenals, now known as ascorbic acid, at Cambridge and in the United States. He demonstrated ascorbic acid’s anti-scurvy properties and determined that paprika was a good source of vitamin C.
‘On Oxidation, Fermentation, Vitamins, Health, and Disease’ (1940), ‘Introduction to a Submolecular Biology’ (1960), ‘The Crazy Ape’ (1970), ‘Electronic Biology and Cancer: A New Theory of Cancer’ (1976), and ‘Bioelectronics: a study in cellular regulations, defense, and cancer’ are just a few of his well-known publications.
Achievements & Awards
In 1937, Szent-Györgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for his discoveries in connection with biological combustion processes, with special reference to vitamin C and the catalysis of fumaric acid.” In 1946, he was awarded the Cameron Prize (Edinburgh) and in 1954, the Lasker Award.
He was a member of a number of scientific organizations. He was the President of the Budapest Academy of Sciences and a Vice-President of the Budapest National Academy. In 1936, he was a Visiting Professor at Harvard University, and in 1938, he was named Franchi Professor at the University of Liège.
Personal History and Legacy
Szent-Györgyi married four times in his life. In 1917, he married Cornelia Demény, the daughter of Hungary’s Postmaster-General. A daughter was born to the couple.
He married Marta Borbiro Miskolczy in 1941, and she died of cancer in 1963.
June Susan Wichterman, the 25-year-old daughter of biologist Ralph Wichterman, was his next wife in 1965. Three years later, the marriage terminated in divorce. ||P
Marcia Houston was his fourth wife, whom he married in 1975. Lola von Szent-Györgyi was the couple’s adopted daughter. ||P
He was a staunch anti-Nazi. He became a Swedish citizen after receiving substantial assistance from the Swedish Embassy in Budapest during World War II.
On October 22, 1986, he died in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Estimated Net Worth
Albert is one of the wealthiest physiologists and one of the most well-known. Albert Szent-net Gyorgyi’s worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
He enjoyed a variety of sports, particularly sailing and alpinism.