Jacques Lucien Monod, French Biologist
Jacques Lucien Monod (February 9, 1910 - May 31, 1976) was a French biologist. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1965, sharing it with Fran?ois Jacob and Andre Lwoff for their discoveries concerning genetic control of enzyme and virus synthesis'. He and Fran?ois Jacob showed that the living cell controls its manufacture of proteins through a feedback mechanism analogous to a thermostat. Monod is famous for his work on the Lac operon. Study of the control of expression of genes in the Lac operon provided the first example of a transcriptional regulation system. He also suggested the existence of mRNA molecules that link the information encoded in DNA and proteins. Monod is widely regarded as one of the founders of molecular biology. He was a proponent of the view that life on earth arose by freak chemical accident and was unlikely to be duplicated even in the vast universe. Monod was also a fine musician and esteemed writer on the philosophy of science. He was a political activist and chief of staff of operations for the French Resistance during World War II. In preparation for the Allied landings, he arranged parachute drops of weapons, railroad bombings, and mail interceptions. He died of leukemia in 1976 at the age of 66
