was a Japanese organic

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe ...

Biography

Hirata was born in Yamaguchi, Japan in 1915. He received a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

from the

Tokyo Imperial University , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...

(now the University of Tokyo) in 1941, and then joined the faculty there as a Lecturer of Chemistry. In 1944, he moved to

Nagoya University , abbreviated to or NU, is a Japanese national research university located in Chikusa-ku, Nagoya. It was the seventh Imperial University in Japan, one of the first five Designated National University and selected as a Top Type university of ...

as an

Assistant Professor Assistant Professor is an academic rank just below the rank of an associate professor used in universities or colleges, mainly in the United States and Canada. Overview This position is generally taken after earning a doctoral degree and gene ...

in the Department of Chemistry. In that same year, he was promoted

Associate Professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the '' North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is ...

. He received his Ph.D. from Nagoya University in 1949, and was promoted to

Full Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

in 1954. In 1955, Hirata met a recent graduate from Nagasaki Pharmacy School, a young

Osamu Shimomura was a Japanese organic chemist and marine biologist, and Professor Emeritus at Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and Boston University School of Medicine. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008 for ...

. He invited Shimomura to work in his lab, which he did, in April 1955. Hirata tasked him with purifying crystallizing Cypridina luciferin for the purpose of determining its structure. He completed the difficult task after three months, and Hirata awarded him with a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' ...

, despite him not being a doctoral student. In 1979, Hirata moved to Meijo University, staying there for ten years before retiring.

Research

Hirata's best known research was that involving toxic compounds, including

tetrodotoxin Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin. Its name derives from Tetraodontiformes, an order that includes pufferfish, porcupinefish, ocean sunfish, and triggerfish; several of these species carry the toxin. Although tetrodotoxin was discove ...

pandalytoxin, his research of the bioluminescent compound ''Cypridina'' luciferin from the '' vargula hilgendorfii'', also known as the sea firefly, and his work on bioactive compounds of plant origin, including anisatin, dendrobine, and daphniphylline.

Awards and honors

* 1941 Chunichi Culture Prize * 1965 Asahi Prize * 1965 Chemical Society of Japan Award * 1977 Japan Academy Prize * 1977

Fujihara Award Fujihara (written: 藤原) is a Japanese surname and a place name, which may refer to: *Fujihara, Tochigi was a town located in Shioya District, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 2001, the town had an estimated population of 13,798 and a densi ...

* 1987

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest tw ...

, 2nd Class * 1990 Person of Cultural Merit * 1996 Nakanishi Prize * 2000

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirata, Yoshimasa Japanese chemists 1915 births 2000 deaths