William Astbury
| William Astbury | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Thomas Astbury 25 February 1898 Longton, Staffordshire, England |
| Died | 4 June 1961 (aged 63) Leeds, England |
| Citizenship | British |
| Fields | Physics, Molecular biology |
| Institutions |
University College London Royal Institution University of Leeds |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Doctoral advisor | William Henry Bragg |
| Notable awards | Fellow of the Royal Society |
William Thomas Astbury FRS (also Bill Astbury; 25 February 1898, Longton – 4 June 1961, Leeds) was an English physicist and molecular biologist who made pioneering X-ray diffraction studies of biological molecules. His work on keratin provided the foundation for Linus Pauling's discovery of the alpha helix. He also studied the structure for DNA in 1937 and made the first step in the elucidation of its structure.
Astbury was the fourth child of seven, born in Longton, Staffordshire. His father, William Edwin Astbury, was a potter and provided comfortably for his family. Astbury also had a younger brother, Norman, with whom he shared a love of music.
Astbury might well have become a potter but, luckily, won a scholarship to Longton High School, where his interests were shaped by the Headmaster and second master, both chemists. After becoming head boy and winning the Duke of Sutherland's Gold Medal, Astbury won the only local scholarship available and went up to Jesus College, Cambridge.
After two terms at Cambridge, his studies were interrupted by service during the First World War. A poor medical rating following appendectomy resulted in his posting in 1917 to Cork, Ireland with the Royal Army Medical Corps. He later returned to Cambridge and finished his last year with a specialization in physics.
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