Origins & Early Life

Jacques Lucien Monod (French: [mɔno]; 9 February 1910 – 31 May 1976) was a French biochemist. He shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with François Jacob and André Lwoff "for their discoveries concerning genetic control of enzyme and virus synthesis" Monod and Jacob became famous for their work on the E. coli lac operon, which encodes proteins necessary for the transport and breakdown of the sugar lactose (lac). From their own work and the work of others, they came up with a model for how the levels of some proteins in a cell are controlled.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In their model, the manufacture of a set of related proteins, such as the ones encoded within the lac (lactose) operon, is prevented when a repressor protein, encoded by a regulatory gene, binds to its operator, a specific site in the DNA sequence that is close to the genes encoding the proteins. (It is now known that a repressor bound to an operator physically blocks RNA polymerase from binding to the promoter, the site where transcription of the adjacent genes begins.) Study of the control of expression of genes in the lac operon provided the first example of a system for the regulation of transcription. Monod also suggested the...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Akira Kurosawa — Contemporary (Born in 1910) (1910): Master of Japanese cinema, known for dynamic style and epic storytelling.
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• Adolph Zukor — Contemporary (Died in 1976) (1976): Pioneering Hungarian-American film producer, co-founder of Paramount Pictures.
• Agatha Christie — Contemporary (Died in 1976) (1976): The 'Queen of Crime,' a master of the mystery genre, best-selling author of all time.
• Adolf Galland — Shared historical date (02-09 · Died) (1996): German Luftwaffe general and celebrated flying ace of World War II.
• Adolph Menzel — Shared historical date (02-09 · Died) (1905): Pioneering German Realist master, celebrated for his detailed etchings and genre scenes.
• Adolf Eichmann — Shared historical date (05-31 · Died) (1962): Nazi SS officer and key organizer of the Holocaust's logistics.
• Ama Ata Aidoo — Shared historical date (05-31 · Died) (2023): Pioneering Ghanaian writer, poet, and academician celebrated for feminist themes.
• 1910 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1910
• February 9 (02-09) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 9
• 1976 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1976
• May 31 (05-31) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 31