Martin Gibbs (November 11, 1922 – July 24, 2006) 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 ...
and educator who worked in the field of carbon metabolism. The Martin Gibbs Medal, an award honoring individuals in
plant sciences
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
, is named in his honor.
Career
Gibbs was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
and educated at the
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since 1 ...
. He obtained his Ph.D. from the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
in 1947. Gibbs went on to work as a scientist at the
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base and Japanese internment c ...
that same year.
In 1957, he returned to academia as professor of biochemistry at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
. In 1962, in the midst of his research, he accepted the role as editor-in-chief of ''
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 ...
''. As editor he focused his strong inclination toward biochemistry on journal manuscripts and was able to significantly grow the journal. He eventually moved on to
Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, pro ...
becoming the Abraham S. and Gertrude Berg Professor of Biology and served as chair of the Department of Biology for three years.
In 1993, the Martin Gibbs Medal, awarded to those who have provided significant contributions in the field of plant sciences, was created by the American Society of Plant Biologists to honor his retirement.
Career related
*Consultant
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...
, 1961–64, 1969–1972
*
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 ...
, 1966–69
*
Cosmos Club
The Cosmos Club is a 501(c)(7) private social club in Washington, D.C. that was founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878 as a gentlemen's club for those interested in science. Among its stated goals is, "The advancement of its members in science, ...
, 1984
*Marine Biological Laboratory, 1970
*RESA lecturer, 1969
*NATO consultant fellowship board, 1968–70
*Council International Exchange of Scholars, 1976–82
*Chairman of selection committee, Fulbright Scholars for Eastern Europe
*Adjunct professor Botanical Institute, University Munster, Federal Republic of Germany, 1978, 1980, 1987
*Adjunct professor department botany University California, Riverside, 1979-1989.
Creative works
Author
*Structure and Function of Chloroplasts, 1970
*Crop Productivity-Research Imperatives, 1975
*Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, 1982
*Crassulacean Acid Biosynthesis and Function of Plant Lipids, 1983
*Crop Productivity-Research Imperative, Revisited, 1985
*Hungarian-USA Binational Symposium on Photosynthesis, 1986
Editor-in-chief
*Plant Physiology, 1963—92
Associate editor
*Physiologie Vegetale, 1966—1976
*Annual Review of Plant Physiology, 1966—1971
Awards
*Recipient Charles Reid Barnes award, 1984
*
Alexander von Humboldt Fellow
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (german: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung) is a foundation established by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany and funded by the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of Education and Resear ...
, 1987
*Adolph E. Gude award, 1993
*Martin Gibbs medal, 1993
*University Illinois Achievement award, 1996
*Bulgarian Academy Sciences gold medal
*Recognized as a Pioneer Member of the
American Society of Plant Biologists
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
.
References
External links
The Boston Globe - ObituaryMaarteen J. Chrispeels, "Martin Gibbs", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2016)*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibbs, Martin
Cornell University faculty
1922 births
2006 deaths
Members of the French Academy of Sciences
University of the Sciences alumni
University of Illinois alumni
Brookhaven National Laboratory staff
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences