A Camelot Of The Biomedical Sciences: The Story Of The Roche Institute Of Molecular Biology

The story of the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology was the realization that a complete detailed history of the events leading to the establishment of this unique research center had not been done previously. A brief history was written by Herbert Weissbach about the time of the 20th anniversary of the Institute in a book honoring Fritz Gerber, the Head of Hoffmann-La Roche , titled Research at Roche, Reminiscenses and Reflections for Fritz Gerber, edited by Jurgen Drews and Fritz Melchers. However, what was not described in enough detail in that article was the unique role the Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology in the National Heart Institute, headed by Bernard Brodie in the mid 1950s, had in the formation of the Roche Institute more than 10 years later. It was in that NIH laboratory that four scientists, John Burns, Sidney Udenfriend, Herbert Weissbach and Alfred Pletscher initially interacted, but later came together to create a research center in a pharmaceutical company, Hoffmann-La Roche, based on their experience and the culture they were exposed to at the NIH. Of that initial group, Burns, Udenfriend and Pletscher are deceased, and we realized that if the whole story was to be told it should be done now. With the help of David Fisher, a talented writer, who was able to take all of the information provided, and add his own research input, this book came to be. The Institute lasted for almost 30 years and for those involved from the beginning, it was the best of times, and very likely still exists in the minds of all the scientists and students who trained there and are scattered in laboratories throughout the world.

• | Author: Herbert Weissbach, David Fisher
• | Publisher: Rimb Adventures
• | Publication Date: Oct 17, 2016
• | Number of Pages: 420 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Hardcover/Science
• | ISBN-10: 0998278408
• | ISBN-13: 9780998278407