William Cumming Rose | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 4, 1887 (1887-04-04) |
| Died | September 25, 1985(1985-09-25) (aged 98) Urbana, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Known for | Essential amino acids, Threonine |
| Awards | Willard Gibbs Award (1952) National Medal of Science (1966) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry, Nutrition |
William Cumming Rose (April 4, 1887 – September 25, 1985) was an Americanbiochemist andnutritionist. He discovered the amino acidthreonine, and his research determined the necessity foressential amino acids in diet and the minimum daily requirements of all amino acids for optimal growth.[1][2]
William Cumming Rose was born in Greenville, South Carolina.[3] He attended various local schools, but his father John M. Rose, who was aPresbyterian minister, began tohomeschool William in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew when he was 14 years old. He also studied an introductorychemistrytextbook byIra Remsen. When he was 16, he studied atDavidson College inNorth Carolina for his bachelor's degree. He took up graduate education atYale University studyingfood chemistry withRussell Chittenden andLafayette Mendel. He was granted aPhD in 1911.[4]
Rose taught for a time atUniversity of Pennsylvania withAlonzo E. Taylor. Taylor recommended him toUniversity of Texas Galveston Medical School to organize a department of biochemistry. In 1922, he went to theUniversity of Illinois as professor of physiological chemistry, a title which was changed to professor of biochemistry in 1936. From 1922 to 1955 he transformed his department into a center of excellence for the training of biochemists.[5]
At Illinois, Rose focused his research work onamino acid metabolism and nutrition. He found that the 19 amino acids then known were not sufficient for growth,[6] and this led to his discovery in 1935 of the last of the common amino acids, α-amino-β-hydroxy-n-butyric acid, later named threonine.[2] His studies also distinguished the amino acids that are absolutelyessential from those that are necessary only for optimal growth. His studies further led him to the point where it was "practicable to evaluate proteins in terms of their ability to meet human needs." In June 1949 he published "Amino Acid Requirements of Man".[7]
Rose served as President of the American Society of Biological Chemists from 1939 to 1941. He was appointed to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council, which advised government agencies on dietary recommendations.[1] Rose retired from the University of Illinois in 1955.
He recalled the role of Yale through the work ofSamuel William Johnson, Chittenden, and Mendel in 1977 with the article "Recollections of personalities involved in the early history of American biochemistry".[8] Further, he recounted the biochemical advances he witnessed in "How did it happen".[9]
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