Zhang Youshang (; 2 November 192523 December 2022) was a Chinese

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 ...

, 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 of the peer-reviewed journal ''

Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica ''Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica'' (ABBS) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal which publishes original research articles, short communications, and reviews in the fields of biochemistry and biophysics. Established in 1958, the journal ...

'' (ABBS). His research was focused on protein structures and

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 ...

Personal life and education

Zhang was born on 2 November 1925, in

Changsha Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, an ...

, Hunan. His father,

Zhang Xiaoqian Zhang Xiaoqian (; December 28, 1897 – August 8, 1987), also known as Hsiao-ch'ien Chang, was a Chinese gastroenterologist who is considered the founder of gastroenterology in China. He served as President of Hsiang-Ya Medical College and Vice ...

, was a founder of

gastroenterology Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- “belly”, -énteron “intestine”, and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract ...

in China and a professor at Peking Union Medical College. Each of his two elder sisters and younger brother are biochemists or physicians. He studied at the Sino-French Comte School in Beijing, and when 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 ...

began in 1937, he moved with his family to Changsha, where he studied at

Yali School Yali High School (), also known as Yali () is a junior/senior high school located in Changsha, Hunan Province in the People's Republic of China, or a group of secondary schools containing Yali School itself and several branches. It is a first-tie ...

run by

Yale-in-China The Yale-China Association (), formerly Yale-in-China, is an independent, nonprofit organization which seeks to develop educational programs in and about China and further understanding between Chinese and American people. Founded in 1901 and o ...

. Zhang graduated from

Zhejiang University Zhejiang University, abbreviated as ZJU or Zheda and formerly romanized as Chekiang University, is a national public research university based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It is a member of the prestigious C9 League and is selected into the na ...

in 1948, and earned a master's degree from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry in 1961, where he studied under Professor

Cao Tianqin 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 ...

. On recommendations of Cao and

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 ...

, the president of the institute, he studied 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 ...

in England from 1964 to 1966. He was the only student at Cambridge from mainland China at the time. He returned to China just before the start of 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 ...

, during which he was persecuted for his association with Cambridge scientist

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 ...

, who was accused of being a British spy.

Death

Zhang died in Shanghai on 23 December 2022, at age 97.

Career

His research was focused on protein structures and insulin. He separated re-synthesised insulin in pure crystal form and demonstrated that it had an identical three-dimensional structure with natural insulin. His other contributions include the production of crystal insulin using enzyme promotion, the creation of a new technique to synthesize pig insulin, the synthesis of recombinant human insulin using yeast cells, and research of the

crystal structure In crystallography, crystal structure is a description of the ordered arrangement of atoms, ions or molecules in a crystal, crystalline material. Ordered structures occur from the intrinsic nature of the constituent particles to form symmetric pat ...

of the

protein subunit In structural biology, a protein subunit is a polypeptide chain or single protein molecule that assembles (or "''coassembles''") with others to form a protein complex. Large assemblies of proteins such as viruses often use a small number of ty ...

of the tobacco mosaic virus. Zhang was a longtime professor at the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology and formerly served as vice-president of the institute. He also taught as a visiting professor at

ETH Zurich (colloquially) , former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule , image = ETHZ.JPG , image_size = , established = , type = Public , budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021) , rector = Günther Dissertori , president = Joël Mesot , ac ...

in Switzerland and the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

in England. He was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001. In 2015,

Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU; ) is a public research university in Shanghai, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university was established on April 8, 1896 as Nanyang Public School (南洋� ...

published his biography entitled ''The Pioneer of Insulin: The Biography of Zhang Youshang'' ( zh, link=no, 胰岛素探秘者: 张友尚传), written by Du Yanyong ().

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhang, Youshang 1925 births 2022 deaths 20th-century biologists 20th-century chemists 20th-century Chinese scientists 21st-century biologists 21st-century chemists 21st-century Chinese scientists Academic journal editors Academic staff of Donghua University Alumni of the University of Cambridge Biologists from Hunan Chemists from Hunan Chinese biochemists Educators from Hunan Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences People from Changsha Victims of the Cultural Revolution Zhejiang University alumni