American Philosophical Society
Member History

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Residency
International[X]
Class
2. Biological Sciences[X]
1Name:  Dr. Bert Hölldobler
 Institution:  Biozentrum of the University of Würzburg; Arizona State University
 Year Elected:  1997
 Class:  2. Biological Sciences
 Subdivision:  205. Microbiology
 Residency:  International
 Living? :   Living
 Birth Date:  1936
   
 
Bert Hölldobler is one of the foremost authorities in the world on insect behavior and the behavioral ecology of invertebrate animals. In a series of brilliant experiments and field studies over the past forty years, he has demonstrated the extreme adaptations to the environment of which the insect brain is capable: for example, the demonstration of military-like strategies and "diplomacy" in conflict between ant colonies and the basis of ant trap jaw predation -- the reflex arc and most rapid mechanical movements known in animals. His Pulitzer Prize-winning book (with E.O. Wilson) The Ants is a widely-hailed classic, and The Superorganism, Wilson's and Hölldobler's most recent collaboration, provides another in-depth look at the intricate ways of social insects. As Professor of Zoology Emeritus at the Biozentrum of the University of Würzburg and Foundation Professor of Life Sciences at the Arizona State University School of Life Sciences, Dr. Hölldobler continues his interest in the evolution of social organizations in insects and in the underlying mechanisms that make insect societies work. In 2016 he was awarded the Lorenz Oken Medal.
 
2Name:  Dr. Alexander S. Spirin
 Institution:  Moscow State University & Russian Academy of Sciences
 Year Elected:  1997
 Class:  2. Biological Sciences
 Subdivision:  201. Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
 Residency:  International
 Living? :   Deceased
 Birth Date:  1931
 Death Date:  December 30, 2020
   
 
Alexander S. Spirin was a world-class Russian scientist who has contributed much that is ingenious and original to our understanding of the structure and function of ribosomes - the intricate molecular machines that synthesize the proteins of cells. He has provided fascinating insight into the interplay between various types of ribonucleic acids and proteins that make up these machines. He has done this by taking ribosomes apart and then sucessfully reassembling them: a major achievement. Currently Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Moscow State University and the Director of the Institute of Protein Research at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Spirin has created a body of work that is important, elegant and internationally recognized. He died on December 30, 2021.
 
Election Year
1997[X]