Donald A. Glaser was a Nobel Prize-winning American physicist whose innovative spirit transformed both particle physics and molecular biology during his distinguished scientific career. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 21, 1926 to Russian Jewish immigrant parents William J. Glaser and Lena Glaser, he cultivated his scientific interests from an early age in the Cleveland Heights public schools. He earned his bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from the Case Institute of Technology in 1946 before completing his PhD at the California Institute of Technology in 1950 with research on cosmic ray particles. Glaser began his academic career at the University of Michigan in 1949, where he was promoted to full professor of physics in 1957 before accepting a position at the University of California, Berkeley in 1959.
Glaser's most significant contribution came in 1952 when he invented the bubble chamber, an experimental device that used superheated liquid to detect and photograph the paths of charged subatomic particles. This groundbreaking instrument, which he initially demonstrated using a small glass phial containing merely 3cl of diethyl ether, revolutionized particle physics research by enabling scientists to observe high-energy particle interactions with unprecedented clarity. The bubble chamber facilitated numerous major discoveries in elementary particle physics, including weak neutral currents that were pivotal in validating electroweak theory, and directly led to the identification of whole families of new particles. For this transformative invention, Glaser was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1960 at the age of 34, making him one of the youngest scientists ever to receive this prestigious honor.
Demonstrating remarkable intellectual versatility, Glaser later transitioned his scientific expertise to the life sciences, making significant contributions to molecular biology and neurobiology throughout the latter part of his career. He co-founded Cetus Corporation in 1971, establishing what is widely recognized as the first biotechnology company and pioneering the translation of biological research into practical medical and agricultural applications. At UC Berkeley, Glaser maintained dual appointments as Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology, conducting research on DNA synthesis related to skin cancer and developing computational models for human visual processing. Donald A. Glaser's enduring scientific legacy spans multiple disciplines, with his bubble chamber remaining a landmark achievement in experimental physics while his later work helped establish the foundation for modern biotechnology research and applications until his death on February 28, 2013.
