Gertrude Erika Perlmann (April 20, 1912 – September 9, 1974) was an Austro-Hungarian Empire-born U.S. biochemist and structural biologist. She is known for her work in protein chemistry, particularly her discoveries on the biology of

phosphoproteins A phosphoprotein is a protein that is posttranslationally modified by the attachment of either a single phosphate group, or a complex molecule such as 5'-phospho-DNA, through a phosphate group. The target amino acid is most often serine, threonin ...

and the structure and action of

pepsin Pepsin is an endopeptidase that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides. It is produced in the gastric chief cells of the stomach lining and is one of the main digestive enzymes in the digestive systems of humans and many other animals, ...

and

pepsinogen Pepsin is an endopeptidase that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides. It is produced in the gastric chief cells of the stomach lining and is one of the main digestive enzymes in the digestive systems of humans and many other animals, w ...

Early life

Perlmann was born on April 20, 1912, in Liberec (Reichenberg), Austro-Hungarian Empire to a Jewish family.

Education

She earned a doctorate in chemistry and physics at the German University of Prague in 1936. She fled Nazi

occupation of Czechoslovakia Occupation commonly refers to: * Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, t ...

for Denmark in 1936. She continued her postdoctoral training in Copenhagen at the Biological Institute of the

Carlsberg Laboratory The Carlsberg Research Laboratory is a private scientific research center in Copenhagen, Denmark under the Carlsberg Group. It was founded in 1875 by J. C. Jacobsen, the founder of the Carlsberg brewery, with the purpose of advancing biochemi ...

with Dr. Fritz Lipmann and Prof. K. Linderstrom-Lang until 1939.

Career

At the beginning of World War II, she emigrated to the United States. She continued her research at

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools ...

from 1939 to 1946 and then at

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United State ...

in Boston, Massachusetts. She moved to the Rockefeller Institute in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow in 1946. She was a member of the faculty for 28 years, rising to the rank of Professor. During her time at the Rockefeller Institute, she collaborated with the notable microbiologist

Rebecca Lancefield Rebecca Craighill Lancefield (January 5, 1895 – March 3, 1981). p.227 was a prominent American microbiologist. She joined the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (now Rockefeller University) in New York in 1918, and was associated wit ...

Awards

In the 1960s she was awarded the Silver Medal of the Chemical Society and the Legion of Honor by the French. She was one of the first female corresponding members of the

Académie des Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (French: ''Académie des sciences'') is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research. It was at the ...

. She won the

Garvan–Olin Medal The Francis P. Garvan–John M. Olin Medal is an annual award that recognizes distinguished scientific accomplishment, leadership and service to chemistry by women chemists. The Award is offered by the American Chemical Society (ACS), and consis ...

in 1965 from the American Chemical Society for "distinguished service to chemistry," for her research on the structure of pepsin, an enzyme that hastens food digestion. She was also awarded the French Order of Merit in 1974.

Scientific societies

Perlmann was a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Society of Biological Chemists, the Biophysical Society, the British Biochemical Society and the Harvey Society.

Personal life

Perlmann is a member of a prominent scientific family. She was the sister of biochemist Peter Perlmann, who together with Eva Engvall invented the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at Stockholm University in 1971. Her nephew Thomas Perlmann is a professor at the Karolinska Institutet known for his work on the specification and maintenance of dopamine neurons in the brain, and who is also the Secretary General of the

Nobel Committee A Nobel Committee is a working body responsible for most of the work involved in selecting Nobel Prize laureates. There are five Nobel Committees, one for each Nobel Prize. Four of these committees (for prizes in physics, chemistry, physiolo ...

for Physiology or Medicine.

Death

She died of cancer at New York Hospital on September 9, 1974.

Selected publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perlmann 1912 births American women biochemists Scientists from Liberec Sudeten German people Czechoslovak emigrants to the United States 1974 deaths 20th-century American women 20th-century American biochemists