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Vincent du Vigneaud
1901–1978 · United States · Born 1900–1939
Nobel Chemistry 1955
American biochemist who studied sulfur metabolism and biotin, then achieved the first synthesis of a peptide hormone, oxytocin.
Nobel-winning work
For his work on biochemically important sulfur compounds, he determined the structure of the posterior pituitary hormone oxytocin and achieved its total synthesis in 1953 — the first synthesis of a polypeptide hormone. This proved that peptide hormones could be made chemically, launching synthetic peptide chemistry.
Fields
Related topics
Total synthesis
Total synthesis constructs a complex natural or designed molecule from simple, defined starting materials, integrating route design, selectivity, mechanism, and practical execution.
Amino acids, peptides, protein structure
Amino acids join through peptide bonds into chains that fold into proteins; four levels of structure explain how sequence determines shape and function.