Henry A. Lardy NAS AAA&S APS (August 19, 1917 – August 4, 2010[1]) was a biochemist and professor emeritus in the biochemistry department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[2] He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1958, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1965, and the American Philosophical Society in 1976.[3][4][5] Research in Lardy's laboratory centered on elucidating the mechanisms underlying metabolism.[3]

Henry A. Lardy
BornAugust 19, 1917 (1917-08-19)
DiedAugust 4, 2010 (2010-08-05) (aged 92)
Alma materSouth Dakota State University (B.S.)
University of Wisconsin-Madison (M.S., Ph.D.)
Known forMetabolic pathways, enzyme kinetics
AwardsWolf Foundation Award in Agriculture, National Award of Agricultural Excellence
Scientific career
FieldsBiochemistry
InstitutionsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Biography

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Early life and education

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Professor Lardy was born in Roslyn, South Dakota in 1917. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1939 from South Dakota State University, with a double major in chemistry and dairy science. While at South Dakota State, Henry Lardy worked in the dairy science department, where he cared for rats and cows that were used for Vitamin D research.[3]

Henry Lardy earned both his master's (1940) and Ph.D. (1945) degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[3]

Career

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After earning his Ph.D., Dr. Lardy joined the faculty at the Enzyme Institute at UW-Madison, and very quickly became the institute's team lead.[6] His laboratory has published more than 370 articles on a variety of metabolic phenomena. Even after his official retirement, Prof. Lardy still operated a laboratory in the biochemistry department.[3]

Notable scientific contributions

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Prof. Lardy is among several people credited for the development of adjustable micropipets.[7] He also played an important role in developing methods for the storage and preservation of semen, which aided in artificial insemination of livestock.[3] He also coined the term cytosol, which refers to the aqueous fluid inside cells.[8]

Awards and distinctions

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Death

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Lardy died of prostate cancer on August 4, 2010. Ironically, one of his research projects involved an anti-prostate cancer compound, which he had been working on even before his diagnosis.[1][11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Erickson, Doug (August 5, 2010). "Noted University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher Henry Lardy dies at 92". Wisconsin State Journal. Capital Newspapers. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  2. ^ "Henry A Lardy". Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison. 21 February 2008. Archived from the original on 15 July 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Kresge, Nicole; Robert D. Simoni; Robert L. Hill (May 2005). "Henry Lardy's Contributions to Understanding the Metabolic Pathway". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280 (20): 161–163. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(20)61810-5. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Henry Lardy". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  5. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  6. ^ Van Helvoort, Ton (October 2002). "Institutionalizing Biochemistry: The Enzyme Institute at the University of Wisconsin" (PDF). Journal of the History of Medicine. 57 (4): 449–479. doi:10.1093/jhmas/57.4.449. PMID 15182019. S2CID 73385406.
  7. ^ Zinnen, Tom (June 2004). "The Micropipette Story". The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Archived from the original on 26 December 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  8. ^ Clegg James S. (1984). "Properties and metabolism of the aqueous cytoplasm and its boundaries". Am. J. Physiol. 246 (2 Pt 2): R133–51. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.1984.246.2.R133. PMID 6364846.
  9. ^ "Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Henry A. Lardy". Wolf Foundation. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  11. ^ Miller, Nicole (Aug 6, 2010). "UW-Madison biochemist Henry Lardy dies at age 92". University of Wisconsin - Madison. Retrieved 6 August 2010.