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Scientific Biographies

Science is a human pursuit. Meet the people behind some of the most significant achievements and discoveries in the history of chemistry, chemical engineering, and the life sciences.
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Mary Engle Pennington

A chemist, inventor, and entrepreneur who transformed the U.S. refrigeration industry in the early 20th century, Pennington helped ensure year-round access to foods free from bacterial contamination.

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b/w photo of a women seated in a dress

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Susan Solomon
b. 1956
Undated photo of Danish chemist Soren Sorensen working in a lab.
Søren Sørensen
1868 - 1939
Hermann Staudinger
1881 - 1965
Fritz Strassmann.
Fritz Strassmann
1902 - 1980
Albert sits on a chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his legs and hands clasped.
Albert Szent-Györgyi
1893 - 1986
Portrait of Jokichi Takamine
Jokichi Takamine
1854 - 1922
Joseph John “J. J.” Thomson
1856 - 1940
Donald wears a suit and maroon tie. There is an orange background.
Donald A. Tomalia
b. 1938
Portrait of Jacobus van't Hoff, before 1898.
Jacobus Henricus van’t Hoff
1852 - 1911
Portrait of William Walker
William Walker
1869 - 1934
James Watson and Francis Crick
James Watson
b. 1928
Harvey Washington Wiley
1844 - 1930
Maurice Wilkins with X-ray crystallographic equipment about 1954.
Maurice Wilkins
1916 - 2004
half-length portrait of German chemist Friedrich Wöhler
Friedrich Wöhler
1800 - 1882
David T. Wong
David T. Wong
b. 1935
Robert Burns Woodward
1917 - 1979
Rosalyn Yalow
1921 - 2011
Karl Ziegler (center) with members of the Hercules group that commercialized high-density polyethylene as Hi-fax.
Karl Ziegler
1898 - 1973
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About Scientific Biographies

Everything you need to know about our scientific biographies, including how to contact us, cite a biography, pitch a scientist, write a biography, or republish a biography.