Dr. William Howard Stein was a distinguished American biochemist whose pioneering work fundamentally advanced our understanding of protein structure and function. Born on June 25, 1911, in New York City, he earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1933 before pursuing biochemistry at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he received his Ph.D. in 1938. That same year, he joined the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, where he would spend his entire professional career, rising to the rank of professor in 1954. Stein formed a legendary scientific partnership with Stanford Moore, establishing one of the most productive research collaborations in biochemistry history that would span over three decades.
Stein's most significant contribution was his groundbreaking work on the structure and function of ribonuclease, an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of RNA. Together with Stanford Moore, he developed innovative methods for amino acid analysis, including the invention of the automatic amino acid analyzer, which revolutionized protein chemistry. Their systematic research between 1949 and 1963 elucidated the complete amino acid sequence of ribonuclease, establishing the critical connection between the enzyme's chemical structure and its catalytic activity. This work provided the first comprehensive understanding of how a protein's three-dimensional structure determines its biological function, fundamentally transforming the field of molecular biology and establishing principles that would guide future protein research.
The profound impact of Stein's research was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1972, which he shared with Stanford Moore and Christian B. Anfinsen for their collective contributions to understanding ribonuclease structure and function. Beyond his Nobel-winning work, Stein and Moore successfully determined the complete sequence of the more complex deoxyribonuclease, further demonstrating the power of their analytical methods. Stein served in significant editorial roles, including as Editor of the Journal of Biological Chemistry from 1968 until 1971, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. His meticulous approach to protein chemistry established methodological foundations that continue to influence structural biology, and his legacy endures through the countless researchers who have built upon his systematic framework for understanding the relationship between protein structure and biological activity.
