Köhler's Invention

Georges Köhler was one of the most prominent German scientists of recent history. In 1984, at an age of 38, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with N.K. Jerne and C. Milstein, for inventing the technique for generating monoclonal antibodies. This method and its subsequent applications had an enormous impact on basic research, medicine and the biotech industry. In the same year, Köhler became one of the directors of the Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology in Freiburg; his unfortunate premature death in 1995 set an end to his extraordinary career. Prof. Klaus Eichmann, who had invited Köhler to become his codirector, is one of the people who were closest to him.

This scientific biography commemorates the 10th anniversary of Köhler's untimely death. Köhler's scientific achievements are explained in a way to make them understandable for the general public and discussed in the historical context of immunological research.

• Antibodies
• biology
• cell
• immunobiology
• immunology
• medicine
• physiology

Die Biographie wirkt ehrlich. (…) Kein Genie erscheint da, sondern ein intelligenter, eigenwilliger und fauler Forscher, der zur rechten Zeit am rechten Ort in der rechten Gruppe war. (…) Eichmanns Biographie ist eine der besten, die ich je gelesen habe. (Laborjournal)

Diese englischsprachige Biographie stellt seine wissenschaftlichen Leistungen für eine breite Öffentlichkeit verständlich dar und diskutiert sie im historischen Kontext der immunologischen Grundlagenforschung.

(Transkript)

• Max-Planck-Institut für Immunbiologie, Freiburg

  Klaus Eichmann

Policies and ethics