To Err and Win a Nobel Prize: Paul Boyer, ATP Synthase and the Emergence of Bioenergetics

Author: Allchin D.¹

Source: Journal of the History of Biology, Volume 35, Number 1, 2002 , pp. 149-172(24)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Paul Boyer shared a Nobel Prize in 1997 for his work on the mechanism of ATP synthase. His earlier work, though (which contributed indirectly to his triumph), included major errors, both experimental and theoretical. Two benchmark cases offer insight into how scientists err and how they deal with error. Boyer's work also parallels and illustrates the emergence of bioenergetics in the second half of the twentieth century, rivaling achievements in evolution and molecular biology.

Keywords: ATP synthase; bioenergetics; conformational hypothesis; error; oxidative phosphorylation; Paul Boyer; phosphohistidine

Language: English

Document Type: Regular paper

Affiliations: 1: Program in the History of Science and Technology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA E-mail: allchin@pclink.com

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