John William Daly (June 8, 1933 – March 5, 2008) was an American
biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...
who performed research for nearly 50 years at the
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...
in
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
. A primary focus of his research included the discovery, structure elucidation, synthesis, and pharmacology of
alkaloid
Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...
s and other biologically active natural products. He was the world's leading authority in amphibian alkaloids and an expert in many areas of natural products. Daly was a prolific writer, producing around 700 papers, including books and chapters. In 1997 he was elected to the U.S.
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
.
References
1933 births
2008 deaths
Scientists from Portland, Oregon
Deaths from pancreatic cancer
American biochemists
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
National Institutes of Health faculty
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