Melvin Calvin(1911-)

Calvin born in Minnesota in april, 1911 received his B.S degree from Michigan College of Mining and Technology (now Michigan Technological University) and phd in chemistry from university of Minnesota. He served as professor of Chemistry fat the university of California, Berkeley.
He has surved on many boards for the U.S. Government. Active in many professional societies, Calvin served the royal society of london, which awarded him Dovy medal in 19 64 for his poineering work in chemistry and biology, particularly the potosynthesis studies.
His clear understanding of nature of organic molecules proved valuable in subssequent work in biological chemistry. investigations of complex organic chemical systems using radio isotope C14 as a tracer by his team were published as techniques in Isotopic Carbon (1949).
He along with J.A. Bassham studied reactions in green plants forming sugar and other substances from raw materials like carbon dioxide, water and minerals by labelling the carbon dioxide with C14. These were discribed in The path of Carbon in Photosynthesis (1957) and The Photosynthesis of Carbon Compuonds (1962). calvin proposed that plants change light energy to chemical energy by transfering an electron in organised array of pigment molecules and other substances. this was substantiated by research not only in his laoratory but also elsewhere later on. The mapping of pathwat of carbon assimilation in photosynthesis earned him Noble prise in 1961.
The principles of photosynthesis a established by Calvin are at present, being used in studied on renewable resource for energy and materials and basic studies in solar energy reserch. in addition he also engaged in studies of chemica; carninogenesis studying the moleclular mechanidms of transformation of normal cells to malignant cells and the synergism between chnemical and viral carcinogenesis. Thies study has indicated that chemicals act by triggering th e integration of onco genic information alreay present in te cell.