Gerty Cori
Gerty Theresa Cori (August 15, 1896 - October 26, 1957) was an Austro-Hungarian-American biochemist known for her fundamental contributions to the study of carbohydrate metabolism. Together with Carl Cori, she discovered the Cori cycle, which describes how glycogen is converted into glucose in muscles and then recycled in the liver as an energy source. She also identified key intermediate compounds such as glucose-1-phosphate (known as the Cori ester). For these discoveries, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947, becoming the first woman to receive this prize in that category. Her work was essential for understanding energy-related metabolic processes in living organisms.
Quotes
- I believe the benefits of two civilizations - a European education followed by the freedom and opportunities of this country - have been essential to whatever contributions I have been able to make to science.
- The unforgotten moments of my life are those rare ones which come after years of plodding work, when the veil over nature’s secret seems suddenly to lift, and when what was dark and chaotic appears in a clear and beautiful light and pattern.