Howard M. Temin
Who was Howard M. Temin?
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1975)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Howard M. Temin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Howard Martin Temin (December 10, 1934 – February 9, 1994) was an American geneticist and virologist who changed our understanding of genetic information with his discovery of reverse transcriptase. Born in Philadelphia to a family that valued education, Temin showed early academic potential that led him to challenge a main belief in biology. At the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 1970s, he discovered that genetic information could flow from RNA back to DNA, contrary to the idea that it moved only from DNA to RNA to protein.
Temin went from Swarthmore College for his bachelor's degree to the California Institute of Technology for his doctoral studies with Renato Dulbecco. At Caltech, he started working with Rous sarcoma virus, a cancer-causing virus that was key to his later findings. After earning his Ph.D., Temin joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty, where he spent the rest of his career developing his groundbreaking theories on viral replication.
Temin's discovery of reverse transcriptase came from his deep study of how RNA tumor viruses copied themselves. Even faced with initial doubt from other scientists, he showed that some viruses could make DNA from an RNA template using the enzyme reverse transcriptase. This discovery won him the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shared with Dulbecco and David Baltimore, and opened new paths for understanding cancer, HIV, and genetic engineering.
During his career, Temin received many awards, including the Leopold Griffuel Prize, Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, and the National Medal of Science. He was also a strong advocate for public health, especially against smoking. He was named a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 1988 and received an honorary doctorate from Pierre and Marie Curie University in 1987. Temin continued his research until he died from lung cancer in Madison on February 9, 1994, leaving a lasting impact on molecular biology and virology.
Before Fame
Temin grew up in the 1940s and 1950s when molecular biology was becoming a recognized scientific field. The discovery of DNA's structure by Watson and Crick in 1953 happened during his time as an undergraduate, setting the stage for the genetic research that would shape his career. He started his scientific path at Swarthmore College, where he developed an interest in both biology and chemistry, which became essential for his later work with viral enzymes.
After World War II, there was a major push in biological research, especially in understanding cancer and viral diseases. Temin began his graduate studies at Caltech during this time of rapid scientific progress, working under Renato Dulbecco, who was leading in the use of animal viruses to study cell transformation. This mentorship was vital, as Dulbecco's knowledge in tumor virology laid the groundwork for Temin's groundbreaking discoveries about reverse transcription.
Key Achievements
- Discovered reverse transcriptase enzyme, revolutionizing understanding of genetic information flow
- Formulated and proved the provirus hypothesis explaining how RNA tumor viruses replicate
- Won the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for groundbreaking work in viral genetics
- Received the National Medal of Science in 1992 for contributions to molecular biology
- Established foundational knowledge for HIV research and retroviral therapy development
Did You Know?
- 01.He proposed the provirus hypothesis in 1964, ten years before he could prove it experimentally with the discovery of reverse transcriptase
- 02.Temin was initially met with significant skepticism when he first presented his ideas about reverse transcription, as they contradicted the central dogma of molecular biology
- 03.He discovered reverse transcriptase independently and simultaneously with David Baltimore, leading to their shared Nobel Prize
- 04.Temin became a vocal anti-smoking advocate after his cancer research revealed connections between carcinogens and genetic damage
- 05.His work with Rous sarcoma virus, first discovered in 1911, helped bridge decades of cancer research with modern molecular biology
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine | 1975 | for their discoveries concerning the interaction between tumour viruses and the genetic material of the cell |
| Leopold Griffuel Prize | 1972 | — |
| NAS Award in Molecular Biology | 1972 | — |
| Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry | 1973 | — |
| Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research | 1974 | — |
| Canada Gairdner International Award | 1974 | — |
| AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research | 1974 | — |
| doctor honoris causa from the Pierre and Marie Curie University | 1987 | — |
| Foreign Member of the Royal Society | 1988 | — |
| National Medal of Science | 1992 | — |