Lynen, Feodor (1911-1979), a German biochemist, studied how cells produce cholesterol and other fatty substances known as lipids. High levels of certain cholesterol-containing molecules in the blood are a main cause of heart disease. Medical researchers have used results of Lynen’s work to help prevent heart disease.
Lynen’s experiments revealed the roles of certain enzymes (molecules that speed up chemical reactions) and the vitamin biotin in the formation of lipids. For this work, Lynen shared the 1964 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine with Konrad Bloch, an American biochemist. Lynen was born in Munich.
