Saturday, February 28, 2009

Black History Month


In honor of Black History Month, I give you one of the preeminent biochemists of the 20th century, Percy Julian. Born in 1899, he received his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna. He passed away in 1975.
His biomedical research made it possible to synthetically produce large quantities of cortisone for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. His synthesis of cortisone reduced the price from hundreds of dollars per drop for natural cortisone to a few cents per gram.
His story is one of dedication: to one's ideals and to one's dreams. If you believe you can, find a way to do so. Percy Julian did.

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