Irwin Gunsalus
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Irwin C. "Gunny" Gunsalus (June 29, 1912 – October 25, 2008) was an American
biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...
who discovered
lipoic acid Lipoic acid (LA), also known as α-lipoic acid, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and thioctic acid, is an organosulfur compound derived from caprylic acid (octanoic acid). ALA, which is made in animals normally, is essential for aerobic metabolism. It i ...
, a vitamin-like substance (an enzyme cofactor) that has been used as a treatment for
chronic liver disease Chronic liver disease in the clinical context is a disease process of the liver that involves a process of progressive destruction and regeneration of the liver parenchyma leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. "Chronic liver disease" refers to diseas ...
, and
pyridoxal phosphate Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, P5P), the active form of vitamin B6, is a coenzyme in a variety of enzymatic reactions. The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has catalogued more than 140 PLP-dependen ...
, one of the active forms of vitamin B6. In his role as assistant secretary general at the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
, he led the international body's research on
genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of Genetic engineering techniques, technologies used to change the genet ...
.


Early life

Gunsalus was born June 29, 1912, in Sully County, South Dakota, at the homestead of his family farm. His father was killed in a threshing machine accident before Gunsalus started college. He attended
South Dakota State University South Dakota State University (SDSU or SD State) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota, United States. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest university and is the sec ...
before transferring to
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
, where he studied
bacteriology Bacteriology is the branch and specialty of biology that studies the Morphology (biology), morphology, ecology, genetics and biochemistry of bacteria as well as many other aspects related to them. This subdivision of microbiology involves the iden ...
, earning a bachelor's degree in 1933, a master's in 1937 and was awarded a doctoral degree in the field in 1940.


Academic career

Gunsalus taught bacteriology from 1940 to 1947 at Cornell University. There he studied issues of food safety and disease risk. From 1947 to 1950, he was a professor of bacteriology at
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
. Gunsalus was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1949 for his work on intermediary metabolism of microorganisms. In 1950, he took a faculty position as professor of microbiology at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
, shifting his speciality in 1955 to head the biochemistry department until 1966. While there, he co-authored ''The Bacteria: A Treatise on Structure and Function'' with Roger Y. Stanier, a five-volume work that served as a basic textbook for scientists entering the field. In the 1950s, while studying
Enterococcus ''Enterococcus'' is a large genus of lactic acid bacteria of the phylum Bacillota. Enterococci are Gram-positive cocci that often occur in pairs ( diplococci) or short chains, and are difficult to distinguish from streptococci on physical ch ...
, a
lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillales are an order of gram-positive, low-GC, acid-tolerant, generally nonsporulating, nonrespiring, either rod-shaped (bacilli) or spherical ( cocci) bacteria that share common metabolic and physiological characteristics. These bact ...
found in the
gastrointestinal tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the Digestion, digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The tract is the largest of the body's systems, after the cardiovascula ...
, Gunsalus discovered various forms of
lipoic acid Lipoic acid (LA), also known as α-lipoic acid, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and thioctic acid, is an organosulfur compound derived from caprylic acid (octanoic acid). ALA, which is made in animals normally, is essential for aerobic metabolism. It i ...
, as well as
pyridoxal phosphate Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, P5P), the active form of vitamin B6, is a coenzyme in a variety of enzymatic reactions. The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has catalogued more than 140 PLP-dependen ...
, an active form of vitamin B6, and was granted a patent in 1962 on lipoic acid. In further research, he discovered the role that lipoic acid plays in metabolism, allowing for the more effective use of
carbohydrate A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ...
s in the diet. By the 1970s, other researchers and hospitals had begun to use lipoic acid for the treatment of
chronic liver disease Chronic liver disease in the clinical context is a disease process of the liver that involves a process of progressive destruction and regeneration of the liver parenchyma leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. "Chronic liver disease" refers to diseas ...
. It has since been used experimentally to treat
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...
and its use as a dietary supplement to prevent or delay the onset of
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
and
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...
has been proposed. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gunsalus studied
Cytochrome P450 Cytochromes P450 (P450s or CYPs) are a Protein superfamily, superfamily of enzymes containing heme as a cofactor (biochemistry), cofactor that mostly, but not exclusively, function as monooxygenases. However, they are not omnipresent; for examp ...
, researching its role in metabolism in the human liver. His studies led to an understanding of how the family of P-450 proteins and their role in metabolizing natural and man-made compounds. He also researched the way that soil microbes exchange
plasmid A plasmid is a small, extrachromosomal DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently. They are most commonly found as small circular, double-stranded DNA molecules in bacteria and ...
s, giving the organisms the ability to adapt to differing nutritional substances available in their environment. Gunsalus was a postdoctoral advisor to
Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty Ananda Mohan Chakrabarty (4 April 1938 – 10 July 2020) was an Indian American microbiologist, scientist, and researcher, most notable for his work in directed evolution and his role in developing a genetically engineered organism using plas ...
, who later used
genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of Genetic engineering techniques, technologies used to change the genet ...
techniques for plasmid transfer to create microbes that could digest petroleum. In February 1967, Gunsalus was one of four scientists who delivered to
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
a petition that had been signed by more than 5,000 scientists demanding an end to the use of biological and chemical weapons in Vietnam. The petition included 17 Nobel Prize-winners and 127 members of the National Academy of Sciences.Schmeck Jr., Harold M
"U.S. REVIEW URGED ON CHEMICAL WAR; 5,000 Scientists Petition Against Initiation of Use of Biological Weapons 5,000 Scientists Petition for Review of Chemical Warfare Policy"
''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', February 15, 1967. Accessed November 22, 2008.


Post-academic career

After retiring from the University of Illinois in 1982, Gunsalus was named the founding director of the United Nations International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, which is responsible for increasing international cooperation in the development and use of genetic engineering and biotechnology in issues related to development. He oversaw the establishment of research centers in
Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...
, Italy and in
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
, India. He was later chosen to conduct ecological studies of the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
for the
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...
from 1993 to 2003, where he studied methods for microbiological bioremediation of coastal ecosystems. Gunsalus was elected to the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
, the
American Academy of Microbiology American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
. He was also elected to the
National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
, where he served as the chairman of the biochemistry section from 1978 to 1981. He was the founding editor of the journal ''Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications''. In 1982 he was the recipient of the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology from the National Academy of Sciences. Gunsalus died at age 96 on October 25, 2008, at his home in
Andalusia, Alabama Andalusia is a city in and the county seat of Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 8,805. History Andalusia was first settled in 1841 after flooding of the Conecuh River and the surrounding lowland ...
, of
congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunsalus, Irwin C. 20th-century American biochemists Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumni Cornell University faculty Indiana University faculty People from Andalusia, Alabama People from Sully County, South Dakota South Dakota State University alumni University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty 1912 births 2008 deaths Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences American officials of the United Nations Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology