Sir Max Ferdinand Perutz was an Austrian-born British scientist who pioneered the field of molecular biology and established foundational techniques for determining protein structures. Born in Vienna on May 19, 1914, he arrived at Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory in 1936 to study X-ray crystallography, initially focusing on glaciology before shifting to biological macromolecules. He co-founded the Medical Research Council Unit for Molecular Biology in 1947 with John Kendrew, which later evolved into the renowned MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology where he served as chairman from 1962 to 1979. His visionary leadership created one of history's most productive scientific environments, where fourteen researchers ultimately earned Nobel Prizes for their groundbreaking work.
Perutz's most significant scientific achievement came in 1953 when he solved the critical 'phase problem' in X-ray crystallography through his innovative isomorphous replacement technique, which involved attaching heavy atoms to protein crystals to determine structural reference points. Applying this method, he successfully determined the three-dimensional structure of hemoglobin in 1959, revealing how this oxygen-carrying protein functions at the atomic level. His work demonstrated that hemoglobin consists of four polypeptide chains arranged in a tetrameric structure with heme groups near the surface, and he subsequently showed how conformational changes enable oxygen binding and release. For these revolutionary contributions to understanding protein structures, Perutz shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with John Kendrew, whose work on myoglobin complemented Perutz's hemoglobin research.
Beyond his Nobel-winning work, Perutz established the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology as a global epicenter for structural biology, fostering an environment where scientific breakthroughs including the DNA double helix model emerged. He continued investigating hemoglobin-related genetic disorders throughout his career and in his later years explored the molecular basis of Huntington's disease, proposing that abnormal glutamine repeats in proteins form harmful cellular aggregates. Perutz also contributed significantly to scientific discourse through influential essay collections such as 'Is Science Necessary?' and 'I Wish I'd Made You Angry Earlier,' advocating for responsible scientific practice. His enduring legacy encompasses both his methodological innovations that enabled modern structural biology and the institutional framework that continues to drive scientific discovery, with over 9,500 protein structures now determined annually using the techniques he pioneered.
