James B. Sumner

James B. Sumner was an American chemist who won the Nobel Prize in 1946 for discovering that enzymes, which are biological catalysts, are proteins. This was a groundbreaking finding because it showed that specific proteins could speed up chemical reactions in living organisms. His work helped scientists better understand how cells function and paved the way for advances in biochemistry and medicine. Sumner's research demonstrated that enzymes are not just helpers but are fundamentally integral components of biological processes, marking a major milestone in understanding the chemistry of life.