Irwin Fridovich

Who is this?

Irwin Fridovich (August 2, 1929 – November 2, 2019) was an American biochemist who, together with his graduate student Joe M. McCord, discovered the enzymatic activity of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD),—to protect organisms from the toxic effects of superoxide free radicals formed as a byproduct of normal oxygen metabolism. Subsequently, Fridovich's research group also discovered the manganese-containing and the iron-containing SODs from Escherichia coli and the mitochondrial MnSOD (SOD2), now known to be an essential protein in mammals. He spent the rest of his career studying the biochemical mechanisms of SOD and of biological superoxide toxicity, using bacteria as model systems. Fridovich was also Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at Duke University.

Career

1. 1929
   Born
2. 1980
   Won honorary doctor of Paris Descartes University
3. 1985
   Won North Carolina Award for Science
4. 1997
   Won Elliott Cresson Medal
5. 2019
   Passed away
6. Member of National Academy of Sciences
7. Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Trivia

• •Place of birth: New York City
• •Citizenship: United States
• •Known as: biochemist, university teacher