Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin

Dorothy Mary Crowfoot Hodgkin, OM , FRS (May 12, 1910–July 29, 1994) was a British scientist, born Dorothy Mary Crowfoot in Cairo.

Insulin structure

Insulin was one of Dorothy Hodgkin's extraordinary quests. It began in 1934 when she was offered a small sample of crystalline insulin by Robert Robinson. The hormone captured her imagination because of the intricate and wide-ranging effect it has in the body. However, at this stage X-ray crystallography had not been developed far enough to cope with the complexity of the insulin molecule. She and others spent many years improving the technique. Larger and more complex molecules were being tackled (see timeline above) until in 1969 - 35 years later - the structure of insulin was finally resolved. But her quest was not finished then. She cooperated with other laboratories active in insulin research, gave advice, and travelled the world giving talks about insulin and it importance for diabetes. Dorothy considered solving the structure of insulin her greatest scientific achievement.

Related Topics:
Insulin - Hormone - Diabetes

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