Aaron Klug

Background

Klug was born in Želva to Jewish parents Lazar, a cattleman, and Bella (née Silin) Klug with whom he moved to South Africa at the age of two.

Education

From 1937 to 1941, Klug studied at a school in Durban. After the boy read the book "Hunters for Microbes" by Paul de Krief, he developed an interest in science.

Having entered the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 1942, Klug began to attend a preparatory course in medicine, but he was more interested in lectures in physics, so he developed his own courses in chemistry, physics and mathematics. By the time he graduated from university in 1945 with a Bachelor of Science degree, physics was his choice.

Bachelor of Science, University Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 1945. Master of Science in Crystallography, University Cape Town, South Africa, 1947. Doctor of Philosophy, Trinity College, Cambridge University, 1953.

Doctor of Science (honorary), University Chicago, 1978. Doctor of Science (honorary), Columbia University, 1978. Doctor of Science (honorary), University Strasbourg, 1978.

Doctor of Science (honorary), Stockholm University, 1980. Doctor of Science (honorary), University Witwatersrand, 1984. Doctor of Science (honorary), Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1984.

Doctor of Science (honorary), Hull University, 1985. Doctor of Science (honorary), University St. Andrews, 1987. Doctor of Science (honorary), University Western Ontario, 1991.

Doctor of Science (honorary), Warwick University, 1994. Doctor of Science (honorary), University London, 2000. Doctor of Science (honorary), Oxford University, 2001.

Doctor of Letters (honorary), Cambridge University, 1998. Doctor of Letters (honorary), Stirling University, 1998.

Career

Rouse-Ball research associate Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University, 1949-1952. Nuffield research fellow Birkbeck College, London, 1953—1958, director virus structure research group, 1958—1962. Professor Peterhouse College, Cambridge University, 1962—1996, staff Medical Research Council Laboratory Molecular Biology, 1962—1996, joint head division structural studies, 1978-1986, director Medical Research Council Laboratory Molecular Biology, 1986-1996.

Leeuwenhoek lecturer Royal Society, 1973, Croonian Prize lecturer, 2007. Durnham lecturer Harvard University Medical School, 1975. Lane lecturer Stanford University, 1983.

Silliman lecturer Yale University, 1985. Cetus lecturer Berkeley University, 1986. J.T. Baker lecturer Cornell University, 1987.

Steenbock lecturer University Wisconsin, Madison, 1989. Innovators in Bio-chemical lecturer University Virginia, Richmond, 1990. Calbiochem. lecturer University California, San Diego, 1991.

Neurath lecturer University Washington, Seattle. Member board science governors Scripps Research Institute.

Achievements

• Aaron Klug has been listed as a noteworthy chemist, biophysicist by Marquis Who's Who.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Definitions and Formulae for Students. (Modern Physics)

    (27p stapled booklet, grey paper cover, spine fragile, boo...)

• Other Work

  • Die Behandlung von Fahrzeugen im Einkommen- und Umsatzsteuerrecht. Eine kritische Würdigung aus Sicht eines Unternehmers (German Edition)

    (Projektarbeit aus dem Jahr 2016 im Fachbereich BWL - Rech...)

  • Contributor articles to science journals.

Membership

Fellow: Royal College Physicians (Baly medal 1987), Royal Society (president 1995—2000, Copley medal 1985), Royal College Pathologists (honorary). Member: National Academy of Sciences (foreign associate), Max Planck Society Advancement of Science (foreign), Japan Academy (honorary), American Academy Arts & Sciences (honorary), American Philosophical Society, French Academy of Sciences (foreign).

Personality

Apart from science, Aaron had an extensive knowledge of philosophy, ancient history and numismatics, literature, painting and politics. One of the few topics of little interest to Klug was music. In 1962 he was elected a member of the Peterhouse. He was Director of Natural Science Research and taught physics to generations of students until his retirement in 1993. Teaching optics courses has given him valuable experience when it comes to his developments in image analysis, Klug says. He enjoyed fellowship with young people and followed with interest the development of his students.

Connections

Married Liebe Bobrow, 1948. 2 children.

Aaron married Liba Bobrow in 1948. Aaron was 22, Liba was 19. Their sons, Adam and David, were born in 1954 and 1962, respectively. Adam was a professor of finance and economic history; he passed away in 2000. David is co-founder and chairman of the Institute of Chemical Biology, Imperial College London.

Father:

Lazar Klug

Mother:

Bella (Silin) Klug

Spouse:

Liebe Bobrow

References

• Aaron Klug - A Long Way from Durban: A Biography The atomic structures of macromolecules provide the key to understanding how life works. Aaron Klug led the way in the development of methods for solving such structures and is one of the pioneers of structural molecular biology. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1982 for his work. Illuminating both his personal life and scientific achievements, this unique biography begins with Klug's youth in Durban and his studies at Johannesburg, Cape Town and then Trinity College, Cambridge. Holmes proceeds to explore Klug's career from his work on the structure of viruses with Rosalind Franklin at Birkbeck College, London to his time as Director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge and as President of the Royal Society. Drawing on their long-term collaboration, interviews and unique access to Klug's archives, Holmes provides a fascinating account of an innovative man and his place in the history of structural molecular biology.