Sunday, October 09, 2005

Inspiring biography of a scientist - Dr. Yellapragada Subbarow

Ambika Ananth

YELLAPRAGADA SUBBAROW: Puranapanda Ranganath — Tr. in Telugu; Pub. by Alakananda Prachuranalu, publication wing of Ashok Book Centre, Opp. Maria Stella College, Vijayawada-520008. Rs. 60.

THIS BOOK is a lucid translation of the English original, In Quest of Panacea, which records the life of Dr.Yellapragada Subbarow, who went to the U.S. in the 1920s.

With deep inner aspiration to help humanity, this Indian- born biochemist carved a niche for himself in the field of biochemistry by finding the drugs Aureomycin, a broad spectrum antibiotic, synthesis of folic acid, which can fight anemia, Hetrazan to eliminate dreadful Filariasis, and Metho-trexate to alleviate several types of cancer including childhood leukaemia. Hailed as a `wizard of wonder drugs' Row contributed more than 100 significant scientific papers, on various aspects of medicine.

The book describes in detail his work at Harvard, and how his contribution was hailed as a landmark in the history of muscle biochemistry and so on.

It pays a glowing tribute to this very worthy human being, who placed work above his life to discover these miracle drugs, which can be termed as `panacea' to suffering humanity. A must read book.

Courtesy: The Hindu

3 comments:

  1. i sincerely believe ap govt., should institute a chair in his name in one of our universities. it can be funded by the local pharma industry, which isn't exactly cash-strapped.

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  2. I agree. I think Dr. Y SubbaRao has not been given the recognition he deserves.

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