C. B. van Niel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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C. B. van Niel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cornelis Bernardus (Kees) van
Niel (November 4, 1897, Haarlem
– March 10, 1985, Carmel,
California) was a
Dutch-American microbiologist.
He introduced the study of
general microbiology to the
United States and made key
discoveries explaining the
chemistry of photosynthesis.
Cornelius Bernardus van Niel
In 1923, Cornelis van Niel
married Christina van Hemert,
graduated in chemical engineering
at Delft University and became an
assistant to Albert Jan Kluyver,
who had initiated the field of
comparative biochemistry. In
1928 he wrote his PhD
dissertation ('The Propionic Acid
Bacteria') after which he left for
the United States to continue his
work at the Hopkins Marine
Station of Stanford University.
Esther Lederberg with CB van Niel, HMS 1945
Born
November 4, 1897
Haarlem
Died
March 10, 1985 (aged 87)
Carmel, California
Nationality
USA
Fields
Microbiology
Institutions
Hopkins Marine Station
Alma mater
TU Delft
Known for
Chemistry of photosynthesis
Notable awards
National Medal of Science (1963)
Leeuwenhoek Medal (1970)
By studying purple sulfur bacteria
and green sulfur bacteria he was the first scientist to demonstrate that photosynthesis is a
light-dependent redox reaction, in which hydrogen from an oxidizable compound reduces
carbon dioxide to cellular materials. Expressed as:
2 H2A + CO 2 → 2A + CH 2O + H2O
His discovery predicted that H2O is the hydrogen donor in green plant photosynthesis and is
oxidized to O2. The chemical summation of photosynthesis was a milestone in the
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C. B. van Niel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
6/13/11 1:44 PM
oxidized to O2. The chemical summation of photosynthesis was a milestone in the
understanding of the chemistry of photosynthesis. This was later shown to be by Robert Hill.
Esther Lederberg was one of C. B. van Niel's accomplished students, as was Allan
Campbell.[1]
In 1961, Van Niel in collaboration with R.Y. Stanier defined prokaryotes as cells in which
the nuclear material is not surrounded by a nuclear membrane, a definition that is still used
to date. He received the American National Medal of Science in 1963.
Footnotes
1. ^ Campbell, A., Annu. Rev. Genet. 2007 41:1-11.
2. ^ "Author Query" (http://www.ipni.org/ipni/authorsearchpage.do) . International Plant Names
Index. http://www.ipni.org/ipni/authorsearchpage.do.
External links
National Academies Press Biography
(http://books.nap.edu/html/biomems/cvanviel.pdf)
Memorial resolution (http://hms.stanford.edu/memorials/VanNielC.pdf) at Stanford
University.
Anecdote about C. B. Van Niel at Hopkins Marine Station, Monterey, CA
(http://www.estherlederberg.com/Anecdotes.html#HMSFRIENDS)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._B._van_Niel"
Categories: Botanists with author abbreviations | 1897 births | 1985 deaths | Dutch
microbiologists | Dutch biochemists | American microbiologists | Delft University of
Technology alumni | Stanford University faculty | National Medal of Science laureates |
People from Haarlem
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