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Sol Spiegelman (1914-1983) was an American molecular biologist whose pioneering discoveries accelerated the study of gene mechanisms and laid the foundations of recombinant DNA technology. His early work on enzymatic induction in yeasts demonstrated a new way to investigate how genes work. Later he developed RNA-DNA hybridization, one of the most important techniques of molecular biology, and in 1965 became the first to synthesize biologically competent and infective virus RNA in test tubes. He received a Lasker Award in 1974 for this work. From 1969 to 1983, he did innovative work on viruses that cause various cancers, developing new analytical techniques and increasing scientific understanding of retroviruses. The National Library of Medicine is the repository for the Sol Spiegelman Papers, which range from 1929 to 1983. The collection contains biographical material, correspondence, laboratory notebooks, published and unpublished writings, academic course material, subject files, memoranda, and photographic media.
As part of its Profiles in Science project, the National Library of Medicine is digitizing and making available over the World Wide Web a selection of the Sol Spiegelman Papers, for use by educators and researchers. This Web site provides access to the portions of the Sol Spiegelman Papers that are now publicly available. Individuals interested in conducting research in the Sol Spiegelman Papers are invited to contact the National Library of Medicine.
This online Exhibit is designed to introduce you to the various phases of Spiegelman's scientific career and professional life. It is divided into sections that focus on Spiegelman's life and major scientific contributions. We suggest that new visitors begin with this exhibit, which includes a small selection of documents and visuals, organized within these sections. Each section begins with a "Background Narrative," which leads to "Documents" and "Visuals."
Visitors may access additional materials through Search on the navigation bar. They may also view the materials alphabetically or chronologically by choosing Browse on the navigation bar. Documents and visuals in these lists are arranged by format and then either alphabetically by title or chronologically.