Tag Archives: Biochemistry

In the footsteps of a biochemical luminary: the scientific legacy of Yakub Parnas

L. Kobylinska

Department of Biochemistry, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, Lviv, Ukraine;
e-mail: Kobylinska_Lesya@meduniv.lviv.ua

Received: 10 January 2024; Revised: 20 February 2024;
Accepted: 21 February 2024; Available on-line: 26 February 2024

The article is dedicated to commemorating Yakub Karol Parnas, an eminent figure in biochemistry and a professor in the Department of Physiological (Biological) Chemistry at Lviv Medical University. It underscores the profound impact of Yakub Parnas on Ukrainian biochemistry, shedding light on intriguing facets­ of his personality during his highly productive two decades at Lviv University. His research significantly contributed to the unveiling of anaerobic glucose metabolism, later acknowledged as the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas pathway. Professor Yakub Parnas and his Lviv school conducted pivotal studies on enzymatic transformations associated with anaerobic muscle function and alcoholic fermentation, glycogen phosphorolysis, revelation of ATP synthesis within glycolysis, pioneering use of radioactively labeled phosphorus in biological experiments.

Scientific investigations of the Nobel prize winner Emil Fischer as a launching pad for the development of biochemistry: a brief overview

T. V. Danylova1, S. V. Komisarenko2

1National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
e-mail: danilova_tv@ukr.net;
2Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
e-mail: svk@biochem.kiev.ua

Modern biochemistry and molecular biology would be impossible without discoveries in related fields of science. This paper aims to outline briefly the main stages of scientific activity of a Nobel Prize winner 1902 – German chemist Hermann Emil Fischer, one of the leading chemists of all times. Emil Fischer was a brilliant multifaceted scientist who left his mark in organic chemistry, physiology, medicine, gave impetus to the development of biochemistry. His insights into the structures of sugars, enzymes, proteins, and purines have become a launching pad for the further development of biochemistry and molecular biology. His contribution to the natural sciences was immense; some chemical reactions and concepts were named after him. This prominent scientist was honored with a number of awards.