Thomas J. King (June 4, 1921 – October 25, 2000) was an American

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

Biography

With

Robert William Briggs Robert Briggs (December 10, 1911 — March 4, 1983) was a scientist who, in 1952, together with Thomas Joseph King, cloned a frog by nuclear transfer of embryonic cells. The same technique, using somatic cells, was later used to create Dolly the ...

, he worked on transplantation of somatic cell nuclei from adult frogs into enucleated

oocyte An oocyte (, ), oöcyte, or ovocyte is a female gametocyte or germ cell involved in reproduction. In other words, it is an immature ovum, or egg cell. An oocyte is produced in a female fetus in the ovary during female gametogenesis. The female ...

s this leading to the first clone of an animal in 1952. He was a scientist at the Institute for Cancer Research of the Lankenau Hospital Research Institute (now known a
Lankenau Institute for Medical Research
when the work was conducted. King and Briggs were awarded in 1972 the highest honor of the

French Academy French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: the

Grand Prix Charles-Leopold Mayer The Grand Prix Charles-Léopold Mayer (Charles-Léopold Mayer Prize) is awarded annually by the Académie des Sciences (French Academy of Sciences) de l'Institut de France (the French Institute) to researchers who have performed outstanding work in ...

of the

Académie des Sciences The French Academy of Sciences (French: ''Académie des sciences'') is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research. It was at the ...

Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...

and were the first Americans to be so honored.

References

1921 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American biologists {{US-biologist-stub