Albert Claude

Facts

Albert Claude

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Albert Claude
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1974

Born: 24 August 1898, Longlier, Belgium

Died: 22 May 1983, Brussels, Belgium

Affiliation at the time of the award: Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium

Prize motivation: “for their discoveries concerning the structural and functional organization of the cell”

Prize share: 1/3

Work

Our bodies are made up of cells that contain organelles, components with various functions. Around 1945 Albert Claude conducted a number of trailblazing studies of cellular components. He made use of the newly developed electron microscope, which enabled him to capture images with a level of detail not previously available. Claude also developed methods for separating the various parts of pulverized cells with a centrifuge so they could be better studied. This also became a breakthrough for cell biology.

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