Robert B. Corey (August 19, 1897 – April 23, 1971) was an American biochemist, mostly known for his role in discovery of the α-helix and the β-sheet with Linus Pauling. Also working with Pauling was Herman Branson. Their discoveries were remarkably correct, with even the bond lengths being accurate until about 40 years later. The α-helix and β-sheet are two structures that are now known to form the backbones of many proteins.
Academic training A childhood polio survivor, Corey received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Cornell University.
The findings of α-helix and β-sheet At Caltech, the trio (Pauling, Corey and Branson) published a series of articles in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Pauling, L., and R. B. Corey. 1950. Two hydrogen-bonded spiral configurations of the polypeptide chain. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 72:5349.Pauling, L., and R. B. Corey. 1951. The structure of synthetic polypeptides. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 37:241-50.Pauling, L., and R. B. Corey. 1951. The pleated sheet, a new layer configuration of polypeptide chains. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 37:2451-56.Pauling, L., and R. B. Corey. 1953. A proposed structure for the nucleic acids. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 39:84-97.Pauling, L., R. B. Corey, and H. R. Branson. 1951. The structure of proteins: Two hydrogen-bonded helical configurations of the polypeptide chains. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 37:205-10.
The most revolutionary of the articles in PNAS is the one written on February 28, 1951. That date was also Pauling's 50th birthday. It was called "The Structure of Proteins: Two Hydrogen-Bonded Helical Configurations of the Polypeptide Chain". In the paper, one odd thing is that the trio diagrammed the α-helix as a left-handed helix, although it is really a right-handed one. Another odd thing in the paper is that the 3(10) helix is almost never mentioned, although it is very common, while the γ-helix, which was another focus of the paper, is almost never found in nature.
See also CPK coloring Corey–Pauling rules
References
External links The Protein Papers by Christen Brownlee, in PNAS at 100: Classics of the Scientific Literature, special issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Robert Brainard Corey by Richard E. Marsh, Biographical Memoirs V.72 (1997) of the National Academy of Sciences Key Participants: Robert B. Corey – It's in the Blood! A Documentary History of Linus Pauling, Hemoglobin, and Sickle Cell Anemia; and Key Participants: Robert B. Corey – Linus Pauling and the Race for DNA: A Documentary History National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir