George Emil Palade

Born:

November 19, 1912, Iași, Romania

Died:

October 7, 2008, Del Mar, California, USA

Nationality:

Romanian-American

Profession(s):

Cell Biologist

Early Life and Education

• Graduated from the Carol I High School in Iași.
• Received an M.D. from the University of Bucharest in 1940.
• Served in the Romanian medical corps during World War II.

Career and Major Achievements

• Immigrated to the United States in 1946.
• Joined Albert Claude's laboratory at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (later Rockefeller University) in 1946.
• Became a U.S. citizen in 1952.
• Professor at Rockefeller University (1958-1973).
• Professor and Chairman of Cell Biology at Yale University (1973-1990).
• Professor of Cell Biology at the University of California, San Diego (1990-2008).
• Shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974 with Albert Claude and Christian de Duve for discoveries concerning the structural and functional organization of the cell.

Notable Works

• Pioneering work on electron microscopy techniques for cell structure.
• Landmark studies on the ribosome and its role in protein synthesis.
• Significant contributions to understanding the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and other cellular organelles.
• His groundbreaking work on the george palade secretory pathway experiments elucidated the route that newly synthesized proteins take from ribosomes, through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, to their final destinations inside or outside the cell.

Legacy and Impact

George Palade revolutionized the field of cell biology through his innovative use of electron microscopy and his meticulous experimental design. His elucidation of the secretory pathway provided a fundamental framework for understanding how cells synthesize, process, and transport proteins, influencing countless researchers and shaping our understanding of cellular function.

Notable Awards

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