Cornelius Van Niel
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2008-07-12T13:38:44Z
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{{Infobox_Scientist
| name = Cornelius Bernardus van Niel
| image = Esther & van Niel J. Loeb Lab HMS 1945.jpg
| image_width =
| caption = EM Lederberg with CB van Niel, HMS 1945
| birth_date = {{birth date|1897|11|4|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Haarlem]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1985|3|10|1897|11|4|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Carmel, California|Carmel]], [[California]]
| residence =
| citizenship =
| nationality = USA
| ethnicity =
| field = [[Microbiology]]
| work_institution = [[Hopkins Marine Station]]
| alma_mater = [[Delft University]]
| doctoral_advisor =
| doctoral_students =
| known_for = [[Chemistry]] of [[photosynthesis]]
| author_abbreviation_bot =
| author_abbreviation_zoo =
| prizes = [[National Medal of Science]] ([[1963]]) <br/> [[Leeuwenhoek Medal]] (1970)
| religion =
| footnotes =
}}
'''Cornelis Bernardus van Niel''' ([[November 4]], [[1897]], [[Haarlem]] – [[March 10]], [[1985]], [[Carmel, California|Carmel]], [[California]]) was a [[The Netherlands|Dutch]]-[[United States|American]] [[microbiologist]]. He introduced the study of general microbiology to the United States and made key discoveries explaining the [[chemistry]] of [[photosynthesis]].
In [[1923]], Cornelis van Niel married Christina van Hemert, graduated in chemical engineering at [[Delft University]] and became an assistant to [[Albert Jan Kluyver]], who had initiated the field of comparative biochemistry. In [[1928]] he wrote his PhD dissertation ('The Propionic Acid Bacteria') after which he left for the United States to continue his work at the [[Hopkins Marine Station]] of [[Stanford University]].
By studying [[purple sulfur bacteria]] and [[green sulfur bacteria]] he was the first scientist to demonstrate that photosynthesis is a [[light-dependent reaction|light-dependent]] [[redox]] reaction, in which [[hydrogen]] from an oxidizable compound reduces [[carbon dioxide]] to cellular materials. Expressed as:
:2 H<sub>2</sub>A + CO<sub>2</sub> → 2A + CH<sub>2</sub>O + H<sub>2</sub>O
His discovery predicted that H<sub>2</sub>O is the hydrogen donor in green plant photosynthesis and is oxidized to O<sub>2</sub>. The chemical summation of photosynthesis was a milestone in the understanding of the chemistry of photosynthesis. This was later shown to be by [[Robert Hill (plant biochemist)|Robert Hill]].
[http://www.estherlederberg.com "Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg"] was one of C. B. van Niel's accomplished students, as was Alan Campbell.<ref>Campbell, A., ''Annu. Rev. Genet''. 2007 41:1-11.</ref>
In [[1961]], Van Niel in collaboration with [[Roger Stanier|R.Y. Stanier]] defined [[prokaryotes]] as cells in which the nuclear material is not surrounded by a [[nuclear membrane]], a definition that is still used to date. He received the American [[National Medal of Science]] in [[1963]].
==External links==
*[http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/cellmicro/nester/graphics/nester3ehp/common/vanniel.html Biography]
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME= Niel, Cornelis Bernardus van
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[USA|American]] microbiologist
|DATE OF BIRTH= [[November 4]], [[1897]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Haarlem]]
|DATE OF DEATH= [[March 10]], [[1985]]
|PLACE OF DEATH= [[Carmel, California|Carmel]], [[California]]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT: Niel, Cornelis Bernardus van}}
{{Netherlands-bio-stub}}
{{US-biochemist-stub}}
[[Category:Dutch microbiologists|Niel, Cornelius van]]
[[Category:Dutch biochemists|Niel, Cornelius van]]
[[Category:Dutch biologists|Niel, Cornelius van]]
[[Category:American biologists|van Niel, Cornelius]]
[[Category:National Medal of Science laureates|van Niel, Cornelius]]
[[Category:1897 births|Niel, Cornelius van]]
[[Category:1985 deaths|Niel, Cornelius van]]
[[Category:People from Haarlem|Niel, Cornelius van]]
[[cs:Cornelius Van Niel]]
[[de:Cornelis Bernardus van Niel]]
[[et:Cornelius van Niel]]