Albert "Ab" van Kammen (born 7 September 1932) is a Dutch

molecular biologist Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

and

virologist Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, their ...

. He was a professor of molecular biology at

Wageningen University and Research Wageningen University & Research (also known as Wageningen UR; abbreviation: WUR) is a public university in Wageningen, Netherlands, specializing in life sciences with a focus on agriculture, technical and engineering subjects. It is a globally ...

between 1972 and 1996.

Life

Van Kammen was born on 7 September 1932 in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. He studied

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J.; ...

at the

University of Amsterdam The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...

and followed a minor in

plant physiology Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. Closely related fields include plant morphology (structure of plants), plant ecology (interactions with the environment), phytochemistry (bi ...

. In 1958 he started working on his doctorate at the laboratory of virology at the Landbouwhogeschool with research on the ''

Tobacco mosaic virus ''Tobacco mosaic virus'' (TMV) is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus species in the genus ''Tobamovirus'' that infects a wide range of plants, especially tobacco and other members of the family Solanaceae. The infection causes characteri ...

''. He obtained his doctorate in chemistry at the University of Amsterdam in 1963 under professor J.P.H. Want with a thesis titled: "Occurrence of infectious virus ribonucleic acid in the ribosomal fraction from tobacco mosaic virus infected tobacco leaves". Late 1963 he went to the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

to become acquainted with the most recent research into viruses. In 1965 he returned to the Netherlands and started research into ''

Cowpea mosaic virus Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) is a non-enveloped plant virus of the Comovirinae, comovirus group. Infection of a susceptible cowpea leaf causes a "mosaic" Mosaic virus, pattern in the leaf, and results in high virus yields (1-2 g/kg). Its genome co ...

''. In 1969 he became associate professor at the Landbouwhogeschool. In 1972 van Kammen was the first person to be appointed as professor of molecular biology at the Landbouwhogeschool. During the start of his career as professor he focused on plants and

cellular differentiation Cellular differentiation is the process in which a stem cell alters from one type to a differentiated one. Usually, the cell changes to a more specialized type. Differentiation happens multiple times during the development of a multicellular ...

in particular. He retired in September 1996. He was chair of the Foundation for Chemistry Research in the Netherlands (Dutch:''Stichting Scheikundig Onderzoek in Nederland'') between 1991 and 1994. In 1975 van Kammen together with E.M.J. Jaspars was winner of the . He was elected a member of the

European Molecular Biology Organization The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) is a professional, non-profit organization of more than 1,800 life scientists. Its goal is to promote research in life science and enable international exchange between scientists. It co-funds cour ...

in 1987. Van Kammen was elected a member of the

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences ( nl, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, abbreviated: KNAW) is an organization dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands. The academy is housed ...

in 1991.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kammen, Ab van 1932 births Living people Dutch molecular biologists Dutch virologists Members of the European Molecular Biology Organization Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Scientists from Amsterdam University of Amsterdam alumni Academic staff of Wageningen University and Research