George Palade dies...

The Scientist notes George Palade dies: The cell biologist discovered the ribosome and other cell components, earning him a Nobel, a Lasker, and a National Medal of Science.

Palade was born in 1912, in Moldavia, Romania...  He went to medical school and, despite a strong interest in microscopy, completed his training as a medical doctor...  In 1946, Palade met Albert Claude, the Nobel-winning biologist who pioneered the technique of cell fractionation, and was one of the early users of electron microscopy.  Claude invited Palade to join him at Rockefeller University.

During the next 27 years at Rockefeller, Palade began uncovering the secrets of the cell.  Using the electron microscope, he defined the structure of mitochondria and visualized small components of cytoplasm, later called ribosomes.  This pioneering work won him the Nobel Prize in 1974.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Palade expanded his work, and proved Claude's theory that the microsomes identified in cell fractionation were fragments of the endoplasmic reticulum.

Palade received a Lasker Award in 1966 and the National Medal of Science in 1986.

According to the ISI database, he is the author of 325 papers and has been cited more than 45,200 times.  His most highly cited paper, on electron microscopy in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, is cited more than 3,300 times.

A true pioneer and incredible contributor to modern understanding of cell biology, he will be missed.