Christian Anfinsen The Legacy of a Citizen Scientist

Staphylococcal Nuclease

This is a model of staphylococcal nuclease built by NIH scientists Drs. Christian B. Anfinsen and David R. Davies for use in their evening seminars for Research Associates. Models such as this were used for teaching purposes in the 1960s and 1970s, though they have since been supplanted by computer graphics. The plastic tube in this molecular model represents the polypeptide backbone and the amino acid side chains are shown by small metal rods which represent molecular bonds.

Dr. Davies is known for his analysis of the 3-dimensional structures of molecules, and Dr. Anfinsen received a 1972 Nobel Prize for his theory that the pattern of protein folding is determined by its amino acid sequence. In their teaching, both continued NIH's tradition of actively mentoring future research scientists.