Perutz (John Cowdery and Max)

Perutz, founded by John Cowdery and Max Perutz, refers to the collaborative research team led by Max Perutz, a pioneering scientist in molecular biology. He is renowned for studying hemoglobin's structure—the protein that carries oxygen in blood. Using X-ray crystallography, Perutz and his team uncovered how hemoglobin changes shape when it binds or releases oxygen, enabling efficient blood oxygenation. This work significantly advanced understanding of protein function, disease mechanisms like sickle cell anemia, and laid the groundwork for modern structural biology. Perutz's contributions earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1962.