Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin, born on May 12, 1910, in Cairo, Egypt, was a renowned British biochemist and X-ray crystallographer. Her groundbreaking work in determining the structures of important biochemical substances using X-ray crystallography earned her the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964. Here’s a detailed biography of Dorothy Hodgkin:
Childhood and Early Education:
- Dorothy Hodgkin was born into an academic family. Her father, John Winter Crowfoot, was an archaeologist, and her mother, Grace Mary Crowfoot nee Hood, was an archaeologist and classical scholar.
- The family moved to England when Dorothy was quite young, and she developed an early interest in science through her parents’ influence.
- She attended the Sir John Leman School in Beccles, Suffolk, where her passion for chemistry began.
University Education:
- In 1928, Hodgkin enrolled at Somerville College, Oxford, to study chemistry.
- At Oxford, she was influenced by the biochemist Marjory Stephenson, who became her mentor and encouraged her interest in X-ray crystallography.
Research Career:
- In 1932, Hodgkin began her research at the University of Cambridge with John Desmond Bernal, a pioneer in X-ray crystallography.
- She focused on the structural analysis of important biochemical substances, including insulin.
- During World War II, Hodgkin worked on the development of radar at the University of Oxford.
- After the war, she returned to her work on crystallography, leading to the determination of the structure of penicillin in 1945.
Structure of Vitamin B12:
- One of Hodgkin’s most significant achievements was the determination of the structure of vitamin B12. This groundbreaking work, completed in 1956, required over a decade of research.
- The structure of vitamin B12 was crucial for understanding its function and developing methods for its large-scale production.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry:
- Dorothy Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for her work on the structure of important biochemical substances using X-ray crystallography.
- She was the third woman ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Later Life and Legacy:
- Hodgkin continued her work in crystallography and mentored numerous students throughout her career.
- She served as the President of the International Union of Crystallography from 1972 to 1975.
- Dorothy Hodgkin passed away on July 29, 1994, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering contributions to the field of crystallography.
Dorothy Hodgkin’s work laid the foundation for the understanding of the three-dimensional structures of complex molecules, significantly impacting the fields of biochemistry and medicine.
