Henry A. Lardy NAS AAA&S APS (August 19, 1917 – August 4, 2010) was a biochemist and professor emeritus in the biochemistry department at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1958, the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

in 1965, and the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 1976. Research in Lardy's laboratory centered on elucidating the mechanisms underlying

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 c ...

Biography

Early life and education

Professor Lardy was born in

Roslyn, South Dakota Roslyn is a town in northern Day County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 181 at the 2020 census. Geography Roslyn is located at (45.496323, -97.490960). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area o ...

in 1917. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1939 from

South Dakota State University South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...

, with a double major in chemistry and dairy science. While at South Dakota State, Henry Lardy worked in the dairy science department, where he cared for rats and cows that were used for

Vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (c ...

research. Henry Lardy earned both his master's (1940) and Ph.D. (1945) degrees from the

Career

After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Lardy joined the faculty at the Enzyme Institute at UW-Madison, and very quickly became the institute's team lead. His laboratory has published more than 370 articles on a variety of metabolic phenomena. Even after his official retirement, Prof. Lardy still operated a laboratory in the biochemistry department.

Notable scientific contributions

Prof. Lardy is among several people credited for the development of adjustable micropipets. He also played an important role in developing methods for the storage and preservation of semen, which aided in artificial insemination of livestock. He also coined the term

cytosol The cytosol, also known as cytoplasmic matrix or groundplasm, is one of the liquids found inside cells ( intracellular fluid (ICF)). It is separated into compartments by membranes. For example, the mitochondrial matrix separates the mitochondri ...

, which refers to the aqueous fluid inside cells.

Awards and distinctions

* 1949 - Paul-Lewis Award in Enzyme Chemistry (

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

) * 1981 - Wolf Foundation Award in Agriculture * 1982 - National Award of Agricultural Excellence * 1988 - William C. Rose Award (

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) is a learned society that was founded on December 26, 1906, at a meeting organized by John Jacob Abel ( Johns Hopkins University). The roots of the society were in the American Ph ...

)

Death

Lardy died of prostate cancer on August 4, 2010. Ironically, one of his research projects involved an anti-prostate cancer compound, which he had been working on even before his diagnosis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lardy, Henry A. 1917 births 2010 deaths American biochemists People from Day County, South Dakota University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni South Dakota State University alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Wolf Prize in Agriculture laureates Members of the American Philosophical Society