Cao Tianqin (; 5 December 1920 – 8 January 1995), also known as Tien-chin Tsao, was a Chinese biochemist and a professor at the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry. With a research focus on muscle protein, he discovered the

myosin light chain A myosin light chain is a light chain (small polypeptide subunit) of myosin. Myosin light chains were discovered by Chinese biochemist Cao Tianqin (Tien-chin Tsao) when he was a graduate student at the University of Cambridge in England. Struct ...

and pioneered the study of

tropomyosin Tropomyosin is a two-stranded alpha-helical, coiled coil protein found in actin-based cytoskeletons. Tropomyosin and the actin skeleton All organisms contain organelles that provide physical integrity to their cells. These type of organelles ar ...

and paramyosin using

electron microscope An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. As the wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light photons, electron microscopes have a hi ...

s. He was a strong advocate and main leader for the synthesis of

insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...

, and spearheaded the research of plant viruses in China. An academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, he served as President of the CAS Shanghai Branch. He was the husband of the renowned physicist

Xie Xide Xie Xide (; 19 March 1921 – 4 March 2000), also known as Hsi-teh Hsieh and as Hilda Hsieh, was a Chinese people, Chinese physicist. She was president of Fudan University from 1983 to 1989, and remained as advisor to the university from 1989 un ...

Early life

Cao was born in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

on 5 December 1920. He entered the affiliated high school of

Yenching University Yenching University (), was a university in Beijing, China, that was formed out of the merger of four Christian colleges between the years 1915 and 1920. The term "Yenching" comes from an alternative name for old Beijing, derived from its status ...

in 1932, and was admitted to the Chemistry Department of Yenching University in 1935. During the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...

, he left Japanese-occupied Beijing for inland "Free China" in 1941. When Yenching was reopened in

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...

in 1943, he resumed his studies and graduated in 1944. For the next two years he worked at the Sino-British Cooperation Office in China's wartime capital

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

, where he helped

Joseph Needham Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (; 9 December 1900 – 24 March 1995) was a British biochemist, historian of science and sinologist known for his scientific research and writing on the history of Chinese science and technology, in ...

research the history of science in China.

Career

After the end of World War II, he received a British Council Scholarship in 1946 on Needham's recommendation and studied under biochemist Kenneth Bailey at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. At Cambridge he discovered the

, a subunit of the

myosin Myosins () are a superfamily of motor proteins best known for their roles in muscle contraction and in a wide range of other motility processes in eukaryotes. They are ATP-dependent and responsible for actin-based motility. The first myosin ...

protein molecule, and this is considered his most important contribution. In 1951, he earned his Ph.D. and was elected as a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, which was an uncommon honour for a non-British person. He married fellow Chinese scientist

in Cambridge in 1952. On the invitation of

Wang Yinglai Wang Yinglai (; 13 November 1907 – 5 May 2001), also known as Ying-Lai Wang, was a Chinese biochemist recognized as the first person to create synthetic insulin, a major scientific breakthrough that produced a biologically active compound fr ...

, Cao returned to China in October 1952 to work for the Shanghai Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry and later the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, where he continued his research on muscle proteins. He and his students pioneered the study of

and

paramyosin Myosins () are a superfamily of motor proteins best known for their roles in muscle contraction and in a wide range of other motility processes in eukaryotes. They are ATP-dependent and responsible for actin-based motility. The first myosin (M2) ...

using

s. He was also a strong advocate and main leader for the synthesis of

, and spearheaded the research in plant viruses. Cao was appointed Vice President of the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry in 1960 and held the position until 1984. He also taught at Fudan University and

Shanghai University of Science and Technology The Shanghai University of Science and Technology (SUST; ) was a public university in Shanghai, China. The Shanghai University of Technology (), the Shanghai University of Science and Technology (), Shanghai University, and the Shanghai Institu ...

. Many of his students later became accomplished scientists, including academicians

Zhang Youshang Zhang Youshang (; 2 November 192523 December 2022) was a Chinese biochemist, professor and vice-president of the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology. He was a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and served as chief editor ...

, Qi Zhengwu and Li Zaiping, and explorer

Peng Jiamu Peng may refer to: * Peng (surname) (彭), a Chinese name * Peng (state) (大彭), a state during the late Shang dynasty * Peng (mythology) (鵬), a legendary Chinese creature * ''Peng!'', 1992 album by Stereolab * ''PENG!'', a 2005 comic * P.Eng. ...

. Zhang later recalled Cao's lively lectures in which he explained DNA and proteins using references to ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' and the ''

Tao Te Ching The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion d ...

''. During the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

, Joseph Needham was accused of being a British spy, and Cao was severely persecuted and imprisoned for his association with Needham. This caused long-term damage to his health, and in the view of Zhang Youshang, led to his relatively early death. In 1973, Cao participated in the research of the ancient corpse from the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

tombs of

Mawangdui Mawangdui () is an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. The site consists of two saddle-shaped hills and contained the tombs of three people from the Changsha Kingdom during the western Han dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD): the Chancellor Li ...

. After the end of the Cultural Revolution, Cao was politically rehabilitated and awarded a National Scientific Achievement Prize in 1978, and elected as a CAS academician in 1980. In the mid-1980s, he served as President of the CAS Shanghai Branch.

Death

Cao died on 8 January 1995 in Shanghai, at the age of 74. After his death, a series of Tianqin Cao Memorial Symposium on Protein Research were held in his memory. Its fourth edition was held in December 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cao, Tianqin 1920 births 1995 deaths Alumni of the University of Cambridge Biologists from Beijing Chemists from Beijing Chinese biochemists Chinese expatriates in the United Kingdom Educators from Beijing Fellows of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Academic staff of Fudan University Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Victims of the Cultural Revolution Yenching University alumni