Norman Lowther Edson (1 March 1904 – 12 May 1970), FRSNZ, FNZIC, was the first Professor of

Biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

(1949–1967) in the

University of New Zealand The University of New Zealand was New Zealand's sole degree-granting university from 1874 to 1961. It was a collegiate university embracing several constituent institutions at various locations around New Zealand. After it was dissolved in 196 ...

based at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

where he founded a department of biochemistry. Edson made contributions to the understanding of, ketone body metabolism in mammals and birds, metabolic pathways of ''Mycobacteria'' and specificity rules for polyol dehydrogenases. Edson made contributions to knowledge of cellular intermediary

metabolism Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...

; developed a system of education in the elements of biochemistry for students of medicine, dentistry, and home science; a programme for a training in biochemistry leading to BSc/MSc; supervised postgraduate students in biochemistry to PhD; and was the medical member of the enquiry on the

fluoridation Water fluoridation is the controlled adjustment of fluoride to a public water supply solely to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water contains fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding ...

of the New Zealand public water supply.

Early life

Edson was the only surviving child of Norman Percival Edson (1868–1908), a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

, and Phoebe, née Moses, a photographic colourist. Following her husband's early death, Phoebe Edson did not remarry but devoted herself to caring for her only child. Family money provided a comfortable home. At

Auckland Grammar School Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

Edson won a Junior National Scholarship (1921) and was in the top ten Scholars for New Zealand. He entered the University of Otago School of Medicine in 1922, and his mother moved to Dunedin to housekeep for him. In 1927 he graduated Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSc), the first to do so. Edson had a distinguished undergraduate career gaining four prizes and graduated in 1930 MB ChB with distinction. Edson excelled at hockey and represented his school, university, province and New Zealand.

Marriage and family

Edson married Suzanne Moor (1917–2009), a medical student, in 1938. Edson was 34, Suzanne 21. They had three children.

Postgraduate education

After graduating Edson spent two years jointly in the Departments of Chemistry and of Physiology at Otago University and received a Certificate of Proficiency in Chemistry in 1932 with a thesis on

catalysis Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

of oxybenzoic acids. Also as Assistant Lecturer in Physiology he gave practical classes and lectured on biochemistry. By then he had decided biochemistry was his subject. From this period Edson published two papers. In 1933 Edson won a Beit Memorial Medical Fellowship and spent two years at

Cambridge University , 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 the

Sir William Dunn Institute of Biochemistry The Sir William Dunn Institute of Biochemistry at Cambridge University was a research institute endowed from the estate of Sir William Dunn, which was the origin of the Cambridge Department of Biochemistry. Created for Frederick Gowland Hopkin ...

whose director was

Frederick Gowland Hopkins Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins (20 June 1861 – 16 May 1947) was an English biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1929, with Christiaan Eijkman, for the discovery of vitamins, even though Casimir Funk, a Po ...

. Edson became

Hans Adolf Krebs Sir Hans Adolf Krebs, FRS (, ; 25 August 1900 – 22 November 1981) was a German-born British biologist, physician and biochemist. He was a pioneer scientist in the study of cellular respiration, a biochemical process in living cells that ex ...

's first PhD student. Edson spent from the

Easter term Easter term is the summer term at the University of Cambridge, University of Wales, Lampeter, University of Durham, and formerly University of Newcastle upon Tyne (before 2004Emmanuel College), two instead of the usual three years of the PhD, and the term of the Fellowship. His mother's ill health required an early return to New Zealand. His thesis, ''Studies in Intermediary Metabolism'', gained him his PhD in December 1936. In Cambridge, under Krebs’ mentorship Edson conducted an extensive investigation on the metabolism of

ketone bodies Ketone bodies are water-soluble molecules that contain the ketone groups produced from fatty acids by the liver (ketogenesis). Ketone bodies are readily transported into tissues outside the liver, where they are converted into acetyl-CoA (acetyl- ...

, substances produced in excess by humans during starvation or undiagnosed

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

. Some of these studies (Edson and Leloir, 1936)Edson, N.L. and L.F. LeLoir, 1936. Ketogenesis-antiketogenesis: Metabolism of ketone bodies. ''Biochem. J.'', . 30: 2319–32.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ] were a link in a chain of experiments leading to Krebs' 1937 proposal of the

citric acid cycle The citric acid cycle (CAC)—also known as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins ...

. During the same period Edson identified the product of purine ring formation in pigeon liver as hypoxanthine, which was converted to uric acid in the liver (Edson, Krebs and model, 1936; Edson, 1946). A derivative of hypoxanthine was subsequently shown by others to be the key product of

purine biosynthesis Purine metabolism refers to the metabolic pathways to synthesize and break down purines that are present in many organisms. Biosynthesis Purines are biologically synthesized as nucleotides and in particular as ribotides, i.e. bases attached to ri ...

. Krebs became Edson's lifelong friend, a long-range source of scientific advice, a host for his future postgraduate students and his own sabbatical in 1956 (see Krebs, 1981). Edson also befriended

Luis Federico Leloir Luis Federico Leloir (September 6, 1906 – December 2, 1987) was an Argentine physician and biochemist who received the 1970 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of the metabolic pathways in lactose. Although born in France, Leloir r ...

to whom he dedicated his 1966 paper on glucogenesis from

sorbitol Sorbitol (), less commonly known as glucitol (), is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste which the human body metabolizes slowly. It can be obtained by reduction of glucose, which changes the converted aldehyde group (−CHO) to a primary alcohol g ...

to celebrate Leloir's 60th birthday. Krebs, in his reminiscences, refers to Edson twice: "With Norman Edson, a medical graduate and PhD student from New Zealand, I studied the formation of

in liver slices." And in the index to people in the book, "Edson, Norman Lowther (1904–1970). New Zealand biochemist, Otago. My collaborator in Cambridge." Edson also befriended

and collaborated with him on

ketogenesis Ketogenesis is the biochemical process through which organisms produce ketone bodies by breaking down fatty acids and ketogenic amino acids. The process supplies energy to certain organs, particularly the brain, heart and skeletal muscle, unde ...

. Edson dedicated his 1966 paper on glucogenesis from

to LeLoir to celebrate Leloir's 60th birthday. Edson also became acquainted with

Ernst Chain Sir Ernst Boris Chain (19 June 1906 – 12 August 1979) was a German-born British biochemist best known for being a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on penicillin. Life and career Chain was born in Be ...

and D D Wood. In 1935 Edson attended the 15th International Congress of Physiology at Moscow. He subsequently told of hearing

Ivan Pavlov Ivan Petrovich Pavlov ( rus, Ива́н Петро́вич Па́влов, , p=ɪˈvan pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈpavləf, a=Ru-Ivan_Petrovich_Pavlov.ogg; 27 February 1936), was a Russian and Soviet experimental neurologist, psychologist and physiol ...

speak and the destitution in the Moscow streets with the hungry placing their noses against the window looking at the plenty on the tables on the other side. From Edson's Cambridge work came seven papers, all published in the ''Biochemical Journal''. Two papers were co-authored with Krebs, on the micro-determination of

uric acid Uric acid is a heterocyclic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen with the formula C5H4N4O3. It forms ions and salts known as urates and acid urates, such as ammonium acid urate. Uric acid is a product of the metabolic breakdown of ...

and on the avian synthesis of uric acid; one with LeLoir on ketone metabolism. The four where he was the sole author were on ketogenesis.

Academic life in New Zealand

Upon his return from Cambridge Edson was appointed Lectuter in Biochemistry at the University of Otago Medical School. He set up a modern biochemistry department for teaching and research. Initially he provided his own equipment and chemicals but later was supported by the Travis Trust for Tuberculosis Research. Fortunately in 1943 John Eccles, a noted neurophysiologist, was appointed to the chair of physiology. Eccles recognised Edson's talents and gave him full support in his enterprises (Eccles, 1977). Gradually Edson recruited a small staff and a number of research students who assisted in his teaching and research. His early work in New Zealand was devoted to the delineation of metabolic pathways of ''Mycobacteria'', relatives of the tuberculosis bacterium. He used the innovative approach of studying cell extracts which gave a clearer picture of bacterial metabolic pathways than whole cells, then currently in use (Edson, 1951). In the 1950s, he and his students turned their attention to the metabolism of the polyols (

sugar alcohol Sugar alcohols (also called polyhydric alcohols, polyalcohols, alditols or glycitols) are organic compounds, typically derived from sugars, containing one hydroxyl group (–OH) attached to each carbon atom. They are white, water-soluble solids ...

s). They carried out an extensive survey of the diversity of the polyol dehydrogenases and determined rules for the steric specificity of these enzymes. (McCorkindale and Edson, 1954; Arcus and Edson, 1956).McCorkindale J. and Edson N.L. 1954 Polyol dehydrogenases. 1. "The specificity of rat liver polyol dehydrogenase." ''Biochem. J.'' 57, 518–523 ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov §; Arcus A.C and Edson N.L 1956 Polyol dehydrogenases. 2. The polyol dehydrogenases of ''Acetobacter suboxydans'' and ''Candida utilis''. ''Biochem.'' J. 64, 385–394. ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov /ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edson, Norman Lowther 1904 births 1970 deaths People educated at Auckland Grammar School New Zealand biochemists Scientists from Dunedin Academic staff of the University of Otago Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand