Carl Woese

Microbiologist and biophysicist; discovered archaea

Carl Woese - Microbiologist and biophysicist; discovered archaea
Born

July 15th, 1928
96 years ago

Died

December 30th, 2012
12 years ago — 84 years old

Category

Scientists & Innovators

Country

United States

Links & References

Contributed significantly to microbial phylogeny and the tree of life. Developed the concept of archaea, a separate domain of life distinct from bacteria and eukaryotes. His work utilized ribosomal RNA sequencing techniques to classify organisms based on genetic material. Published the groundbreaking paper 'The Universal Tree of Life' which reshaped the understanding of evolutionary biology. Served as a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received numerous accolades for research in genetics and microbiology.

Discovered and classified archaea as a separate domain of life

Advanced ribosomal RNA sequencing techniques for phylogenetic studies

Published influential research on the tree of life

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