Life and Times of Yellapragada SubbaRow

Dr Yellapragada SubbaRow was an Indian-born American biochemist who made numerous discoveries in various fields of science. Born in 1895 into a poor family, he went on to have medical training at the Madras Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. After many hardships, he arrived in the United States of America and earned a diploma in tropical medicine and a PhD in biochemistry from Harvard. His illustrious career began with the isolation of phosphorus in body fluids along with Fiske. They discovered phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as well. He later became the director of Lederle Laboratories, where he discovered the tetracycline antibiotic group, which saved many lives. He synthesized many vitamins, including folic acid, niacin, and biotin. In 1948, he discovered methotrexate (MTX) for childhood cancer, which paved the way for many chemotherapeutics and is also used in the management of several autoimmune conditions. Despite numerous medical advancements made by SubbaRow, awareness in the scientific world regarding his life and many contributions remains underrecognized. This article discusses SubbaRow's life, academics, and achievements in a nutshell.