Catalogue description Papers of Professor DAVID KEILIN, F.R.S.(1887 - 1963)

Professor Keilin was of Russian-Jewish extraction brought up in Warsaw. He was a student at the Sorbonne and began his scientific work in Paris before moving to Cambridge; his cosmopolitan background is reflected in the many foreign languages used in his notebooks, publications and correspondence, which are noted in the handlist.

Professor Keilin began his scientific career as an entomologist and parasitologist, and retained his interest in these subjects throughout his working life in addition to his developing concentration on the biochemistry of cell respiration. For this reason it has not always been possible to date working papers precisely. He suffered from asthma and travelled little; this, together with the very wide range of his scientific interests, was responsible for his extensive correspondence.

The collection includes material belonging or relating to other scientists, for example Dr. C.A. MacMunn, an early and neglected precursor of Keilin's work on cytochrome; there are also correspondence and drawings of Sir Ronald Ross and Professor G.H.F. Nuttall, Keilin's predecessor as Quick Professor of Biology and Director of the Molteno Institute, Cambridge University (Items 223 - 228).

The numerous drawings, especially of parasitological subjects, are by Nuttall, Keilin and perhaps others. The high quality of the execution has been thought justification for retaining them (Items 220 - 222, and 229).

Listed by: Jeannine Alton

Harriot Weiskittel

I. Biographical material 1 - 27

II. Address Books 28 - 32

III. Bibliographies 33 - 45

IV. Working notebooks 46 - 127

V. Cambridge University 128 - 140

VI. Publications 141 - 175

VII. Conference 176

VIII. Correspondence 177 - 219

IX. Drawings 220 - 222

X. Historical material: Biographical and scientific material relating to Dr. C.A. MacMunn, Sir Ronald Ross, Professor G.H.F. Nuttall 223 - 229

Material relating to the Royal Society, the Agricultural Research Council, and the Chemical Defence Research Department, Ministry of Supply, has been returned to the appropriate authorities.

A selection of books from Keilin's library, and much of his large collection of off-prints, are in the library of the Department of Zoology, Oxford University.

Keilin, David, 1887-1963, biochemist

Deposited in 1973

They were received from Mrs. Joan Whiteley (daughter), who retains during her lifetime the biological material listed as Items 1 - 6

• Biochemistry

Summary of the career of Professor Keilin

b. 1887 Moscow

1897 - 1904 Educated at Gorski Gymnasium, Warsaw

1904 Liege University

1905 Paris University

Began work with Maurice Caullery in Laboratoire d'Evolution des Etres Organises, Paris, on Pollenia Rudis

1913 Married

1914 D.Sc. (Sorbonne)

Prix Passet, Société entomologique de France

1914 - 23 Work on morphology and biology of protists

1915 Invited to Cambridge to work with G.H.F. Nuttall, Quick Professor of Biology

Work on Pediculus humanus

1920 - 25 Beit Memorial Research Fellow, Cambridge

1920 Began work on cellular respiration using mainly spectroscopic methods

1921 Moved with Nuttall to Molteno Institute for Research in Parasitology, Cambridge

1925 University lecturer in Parasitology, Cambridge

Work on cytochrome published

1928 Fellow of the Royal Society

1931 - 52 Quick Professor of Biology and Director of the Molteno Institute; Professorial Fellow, Magdalene College

1934 Croonian Lecturer, Royal Society

1934 - 63 Editor, Parasitology

1934 Work on enzymes, collaborating principally with E.F. Hartree (1934-58) and T. Mann (1937-44)

1939 Royal Medal, Royal Society

1946 Work on Anabiosis

1952 Copley Medal, Royal Society

1955 Membre Associé Etranger, Académie des Sciences, Paris

1957 Honorary Fellow, Magdalene College, Cambridge

1958 Leeuwenhoek Lecture, Royal Society

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