Biochemist And A Pharmacologist: Gertrude Belle Elion

Gertrude Belle Elion
The scientist I chose is Gertrude Belle Elion. She is a biochemist and a pharmacologist (Biography.com). She impacted the world of science greatly, especially in the area of medicine. She lived until the age of 81 in New York (Nobelprize.org).

Gertrude Elion was born January 23, 1918 in New York, New York (Nobelprize.org). Both of her parents were immigrants at the time (Academy of Achievement). She lived in Manhattan for her early childhood where her father was a dentist. Eventually she moved to the Bronx when her younger brother was born (Academy of Achievement). Gertrude died on February 21, 1999 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Nobelprize.org). Elion first went to college at the age of fifteen and graduated when she
She studied the composition of dead cells to create medicines (Biography.com). Elion worked very close with Dr. George H. Hitchings during her career (Nobelprize.org). They found the differences between normal human cells and pathogens to produce medicines that would stop viral infections. She helped make drugs that fight leukemia, herpes and AIDS (Biography.com). Also Gertrude and those she worked with developed drugs that prevent the rejection of kidneys during transplants between unrelated donors (Biography.com). Overall, Elion created 45 patents in medicine and received 23 honorary degrees, before she officially retired in 1983(Biography.com & Academy of Achievement). Elion was inspired to design drugs to help treat these diseases by her grandfather. She saw him die of cancer, which really influenced her to help find treatments for cancer
For example, in 1942 the very first electronic digital computer was created (Bellis, Mary). Then in 1945 the infamous atomic bomb was first produced. Next, in 1965 soft, flexible contact lenses were invented (Bellis, Mary). Also, in 1979 the first ever cell phone was created. Finally in 1982, just one year before Gertrude officially retired, human growth hormones were genetically engineered (Bellis, Mary). Before Elion and the groups she worked with the world did not know much about medicines and treatments for diseases. A chemist named Gerhard Domagk discovered Prontosil, which is a dye that killed streptococcus bacteria, or strep throat (Encyclopedia.com). Also at this time “sulfa” drugs were created. They help fight a wide variety of disease yet they had some side affects like kidney failure, skin lesions, and high fever. Eventually the use of these drugs was stopped because it was found to be dangerous (Encyclopedia.com). When mixed with diethylene glycol, which was used to put the drug in to liquid form for young kids, is became a poison and actually ended up killing large amount of people. Finally they also could not treat tuberculosis, polio, or any sexually transmitted diseases (Encyclopedia.com). Since then they have advanced greatly in the types of drugs that they have created. In 1992 the first ever vaccine for hepatitis A is discovered (Infoplease). Also, they found a vaccine for Lyme