| 1 | Name: | Dr. Christian de Duve | |
| Institution: | Rockefeller University & Catholic University, Louvain | ||
| Year Elected: | 1991 | ||
| Class: | 2. Biological Sciences | ||
| Subdivision: | 202. Cellular and Developmental Biology | ||
| Residency: | International | ||
| Living? : | Deceased | ||
| Birth Date: | 1917 | ||
| Death Date: | May 4, 2013 | ||
Belgian biochemist Christian de Duve had been Emeritus Professor at both Catholic University, Louvain (since 1985) and Rockefeller University (since 1988) prior to his death on May 4, 2013 at the age of 95 at his home in Nethen, Belgium. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Louvain in 1945, training under Albert Claude and Hugo Theorell. A specialist in subcellular biochemistry and cell biology, Dr. de Duve was credited with discovering peroxisomes, a cell organelle, and his unique improvements on zonal centrifugation in the early 1960s led to the identification of the lysosomal fractions and its most important function in health and disease. His work on cell fractionalization has also provided a great deal of insight into the function of cell structures. For his work describing the structure and function of organelles in biological cells, Dr. de Duve, together with Albert Claude and George E. Palade, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1974. He is also the recipient of the Heineken Medal (1973) and a member of the National Academy of Sciences (1975). He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1991. | |||