"Father of Modern Cell Biology"

Prominent Figure: Cellular Biology Highlight

George E. Palade, M.D.,

(November 19th, 1912- October 7th, 2008)

Education:

Palade obtained his MD from the University of Bucharest, Romania at their School of Medicine in 1940, completing his doctoral thesis on the topic of the microscopic anatomy of the dolphin nephron. He continued to be an active member of the faculty until post WW2, where he moved to the United States and soon joined Albert Claude at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in NYC.

Work:

George E. Palade was considered one of the "most influential cell biologists ever" of the 20th century. Palade studied the internal arrangement of eukaryotic cells and their structures, including the mitochondria and chloroplasts. His early work established the function of many organelles and cytoplasmic structures through the use of electron microscopy and biochemistry.

One of his greatest accomplishments was conceptualizing the cellular endomembrane system (endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus), as well as the discovery of ribosomes- they were originally mistaken to be pieces of the mitochondria, but they are actually parts of the endoplasmic reticulum that contain high concentrations of RNA.

Awarded The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1974) "for...discoveries concerning the structural and functional organization of the cell" along with Albert Claude and Christian de Duve.