Background
Steiner, Donald Frederick was born on July 15, 1930 in Lima, Ohio, United States. Son of Willis A. and Katherine (Hoegner) Steiner.
biochemist university professor
Steiner, Donald Frederick was born on July 15, 1930 in Lima, Ohio, United States. Son of Willis A. and Katherine (Hoegner) Steiner.
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Zoology, University Cincinnati, 1952. Master of Science in Biochemistry, University Chicago, 1956. Doctor of Medicine, University Chicago, 1956.
Division of Medical Sciences (honorary), University Umea, Sweden, 1973. Division of Medical Sciences (honorary), University Illinois, 1984. Division of Medical Sciences (honorary), University Uppsala, Sweden, 1993.
Division of Medical Sciences (honorary), Mount Sinai School Medicine, New York City, 1998.
From the same university in 1956. Steiner is known for his discoveries on proinsulin, the precursor of insulin which is a hormone that helps the body control the use of sugar. He found that insulin is synthesized from a larger precursor protein in the beta cells of the pancreas and this led the way to elucidation of how the islet cells function, and how peptide hormones are synthesized and metabolized.
He and his colleagues discovered some of the enzymes that convert proinsulin into insulin, and also devised methods for measuring insulin and its precursors in human serum.
Member of National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy Arts & Sciences, American Diabetes Association (Albert Renold award 2007), American Philosophical Society, American Society Biochemists & Molecular Biologists, European Association Study Diabetes (honorary), Alpha Omega Alpha, Sigma Xi.
