William Howard Stein
American biochemist
Who was William Howard Stein?
William Howard Stein (June 25, 1911 – February 2, 1980) was an American biochemist who collaborated in the determination of the ribonuclease sequence, as well as how its structure relates to catalytic activity, earning a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1972 for his work. William H. Stein was born in New York City into a Jewish family. His father, Fred M. Stein, was a businessman who retired early to support local New York health organizations. His mother, Beatrice Borg Stein, was a children's rights activist who developed afterschool activities.
Historical significance
Stein was also involved in the invention of the automatic amino acid analyzer, an advancement in chromatography that opened the door to modern methods of chromatography, such as liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. Staunch advocates for the welfare of society, Stein's parents fostered his interests in the life sciences from a young age.