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Manfred Eigen

Manfred Eigen (9 May 1927 – 6 February 2019) was a biophysicist and chemist renowned for his pioneering studies of extremely fast chemical reactions, for which he shared the 1967 with Ronald George Wreyford Norrish and . Born in , , to a family of musicians, Eigen shifted from early aspirations in to science after , becoming a leading figure in and through his work at the . His innovations in measuring reaction kinetics on micro- and nanosecond timescales revolutionized understanding of molecular processes, while his later research bridged physics, chemistry, and biology to explore and . Eigen's education began at the humanistic in , followed by studies in physics and at the starting in 1945. He earned his doctorate in natural sciences in 1951 under Arnold Eucken, with a dissertation on the specific heat of and aqueous solutions. From 1951 to 1953, he served as an assistant lecturer in at under Ewald Wicke, before joining the Institute for in 1953 under director Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer. There, in collaboration with Leo de Maeyer starting in 1954, Eigen developed relaxation techniques using high-frequency sound waves and electrical pulses to observe rapid ionic and biochemical reactions, publishing nearly 100 papers on , , proton transfers, metal complexes, and . The recognized Eigen's method of disturbing chemical equilibria with short energy pulses to study reactions too fast for conventional techniques, such as the dissociation of salts in solvents. Appointed a Scientific Member of the in 1958 and head of the Department of in 1962, he became director of the institute in 1964, managing director from 1967 to 1970, and was elected to the Scientific Council of the German Federal Republic in 1967. His awards included the Bodenstein Prize (1956), (1962), Kirkwood Medal (1963), and (1967), alongside honorary doctorates from institutions like (1966). In his later career, Eigen founded the Institute for in in 1971 by merging existing institutes, serving as director until his retirement in 1995 and overseeing its growth to 850 staff across 12 departments. He advanced evolutionary through "evolution machines" for in vitro selection of biomolecules, contributing to in areas like AIDS research, and introduced theoretical concepts such as the hypercycle, quasispecies model, and error threshold to explain and in prebiotic systems. Eigen also held leadership roles, including chair of the European Molecular Biology Organization from 1969 to 1971 and president of the des deutschen Volkes from 1982 to 1993, and co-founded firms like Evotec AG. Married to Elfriede Müller with two children, he pursued interests in amateur music and until his death in .

Early life and education

Childhood and family

Manfred Eigen was born on May 9, 1927, in , , to Ernst Eigen, a professional chamber musician and cellist with the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, and Hedwig Eigen (née Feld). Growing up in a middle-class household steeped in musical tradition, Eigen's early years were marked by frequent chamber concerts and piano performances at home, where he was exposed to renowned artists from a young age. His parents fostered an environment that emphasized artistic pursuits, with music playing a central role in family life. From preschool age, Eigen displayed a profound talent for music, beginning intensive piano practice and delivering public recitals by age 12, including works by Bach, Haydn, and Dittersdorf. Alongside this, Eigen developed an early fascination with science, setting up a home for chemical experiments despite his mother's concerns over occasional explosions. This dual interest in music and the natural sciences, nurtured within his family's cultured yet inquisitive atmosphere, shaped his formative worldview and sparked a particular curiosity in physics through school and hands-on tinkering. World War II profoundly disrupted Eigen's adolescence; at age 15, he was conscripted into the auxiliary as part of an antiaircraft unit, which halted his practice and musical aspirations. Near the war's end in 1945, he was captured by Allied forces but escaped from a , embarking on an arduous journey on foot through war-torn to amid the devastation of bombed cities and societal collapse. These wartime ordeals and post-war hardships in a ruined nation underscored the fragility of prewar stability, ultimately steering Eigen toward formal studies in physics and chemistry at the later that year.

Academic training

Manfred Eigen received his at the in , attending until interrupted his studies in 1942. At the age of 15, he was drafted into an antiaircraft unit of the German armed forces, serving until the war's end, after which he was briefly held as a . Following his release, Eigen returned to civilian life and, encouraged by his family's interest in , enrolled at the Georg-August University in in the autumn of 1945 to pursue studies in physics and . Under the supervision of physical chemist Arnold Eucken, Eigen completed his in physics in 1949, with his thesis emphasizing and . He continued under Eucken for his doctoral research, earning his PhD in natural sciences in 1951 for a dissertation on the of and aqueous solutions, which employed experimental methods including precise to measure specific heats.

Scientific career

Early positions and Max Planck Institute

Following his doctoral dissertation on the thermochemistry of heavy water and aqueous electrolyte solutions under Arnold Eucken, Eigen remained at the University of Göttingen from 1951 to 1953 as an assistant lecturer in the physical chemistry department under Ewald Wicke, where he concentrated on spectroscopic methods to investigate rapid processes in solutions. During this period, inspired by ultrasound absorption measurements conducted by Konrad Tamm and Walter Kurtze, he initiated studies on fast ionic reactions, laying the groundwork for his later innovations in chemical kinetics. In 1953, Eigen joined the Institute for in as a scientific assistant, working under the institute's director, Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer, who recognized his potential in experimental . At the institute, he began developing advanced spectroscopic techniques capable of resolving processes on the timescale, which became central to probing transient chemical states. Eigen's tenure at the institute during the 1950s also involved constructing key experimental setups, such as those integrating for inducing and monitoring rapid perturbations in chemical systems, enabling precise measurements of reaction dynamics that were previously inaccessible. In 1954, he established a fruitful collaboration with Leo de Maeyer, a colleague at the institute, to refine these ultrasound-based apparatuses for broader applications in research. In 1962, he became head of the Department of at the institute. By 1958, Eigen's contributions earned him promotion to Scientific Member of the and head of a research group at the institute, granting him greater autonomy to direct projects and foster international exchanges. This role facilitated exchanges with leading figures in the field, whose methods, such as Porter's , complemented Eigen's relaxation approaches in advancing the study of ultrafast reactions during the late 1950s.

Directorship and institutional leadership

In 1964, Manfred Eigen was appointed head of the Max Planck Institute for in , a role that enabled him to steer the institution toward greater emphasis on biophysical research and interdisciplinary approaches to and molecular processes. Under his leadership, the institute's scope broadened to incorporate biophysical methodologies, attracting international collaborators and expanding departmental activities beyond traditional to address biological systems at the molecular level. This vision culminated in 1971 when Eigen orchestrated the merger of the Institute for with the Max Planck Institute for , founding the Institute for (MPI-BPC) in . As the driving force behind this initiative—proposed as early as 1968—Eigen aimed to create a hub for integrating physical, chemical, and biological sciences to explore life's fundamental mechanisms, resulting in an institute that grew from five to twelve departments in its initial years and became a cornerstone for biophysical research worldwide. He served as head of the Department of Biochemical Kinetics at the MPI-BPC from 1971 until his retirement in 1995, prioritizing scientific excellence over administrative dominance by declining permanent managing directorship. From 1982 to 1993, Eigen held the presidency of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, the German National Merit Foundation, where he championed the advancement of young talent by expanding doctoral grants and scholarships for promising scientists, thereby influencing the broader ecosystem of German research education. Throughout his career, Eigen mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers, guiding over a hundred trainees in total and establishing interdisciplinary laboratories at the MPI-BPC that facilitated cross-disciplinary collaborations essential to advancing as a field. His emphasis on individual excellence and innovative environments not only shaped institutional culture but also propelled the global impact of biophysical research through the careers of those he trained.

Research contributions

Relaxation methods for fast reactions

In the early 1950s, Manfred Eigen developed relaxation spectrometry to investigate chemical reactions too rapid for conventional flow methods, which were limited to timescales of milliseconds or longer. This approach involved perturbing an established —such as through sudden temperature jumps via electrical discharge or heating, or changes using shock waves—and observing the system's return to . By monitoring the relaxation process with techniques like or , Eigen could measure reaction rates in the to range, extending kinetic studies to "immeasurably fast" processes previously inaccessible. The core principle of these methods relies on the relaxation time \tau, defined as the for the system to return to after , related to the constant k by the equation \tau = \frac{1}{k} for simple processes, where faster s exhibit shorter relaxation times. Eigen's 1954 presentation to the Faraday demonstrated this capability, achieving measurements down to $10^{-9} seconds, a breakthrough enabled by precise instrumentation developed in collaboration with Leo de Maeyer. Early applications included studies of proton transfer in , such as the neutralization \ce{H+ + OH- -> H2O}, revealing a diffusion-controlled constant of $1.4 \times 10^{11} M^{-1} s^{-1} at 25°C, confirming the reaction's near-instantaneous nature. Further experiments explored hydrogen bonding dynamics, exemplified by the hydrolysis of ammonia (\ce{NH3 + H2O <=> NH4+ + OH-}), where relaxation methods quantified and rates, highlighting the role of proton tunneling in such processes. In enzyme kinetics, Eigen applied these techniques to allosteric enzymes like glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, resolving intermediate states and rate-limiting steps in binding and catalysis on timescales. Eigen also integrated relaxation methods with , collaborating with Ronald G. W. Norrish and to combine rapid energy pulses for initiating and observing transient species in photochemical reactions.

Molecular evolution and self-organization

In the later stages of his career, Manfred Eigen shifted focus from to theoretical models of , particularly addressing how self-replicating molecules could emerge and organize in prebiotic environments. Central to this work was the quasispecies model, introduced in 1971, which describes the dynamics of populations undergoing error-prone replication, such as in viruses. Unlike classical Darwinian assuming perfect replication, the model accounts for mutations as inevitable, leading to a diverse "quasispecies" cloud of variants centered around a master sequence rather than a single dominant . The of the quasispecies are governed by the equation \frac{dx_i}{dt} = \sum_j Q_{ij} W_j x_j - \phi x_i, where x_i is the frequency of i, Q_{ij} is the mutation probability from sequence j to i (incorporating the \mu), W_j is the selective value () of sequence j (with s representing the relative superiority of the master sequence), and \phi normalizes the total . This predicts an "error threshold," where if \mu exceeds a relative to s and sequence length, the master sequence cannot be maintained, leading to loss of —a key constraint for early replicators. Eigen applied this to viruses, explaining their observed genetic diversity as adaptive quasispecies swarms that enhance evolvability and escape host defenses. Building on the quasispecies, Eigen developed the hypercycle theory between 1977 and 1979 to resolve limitations in information storage and stability for longer genomes. A hypercycle consists of cooperative cycles of self-replicating molecules where each catalyzes the replication of the next, forming a closed loop that amplifies collective fitness and suppresses parasitic mutants. The mathematical formulation is \frac{dX_i}{dt} = k X_i \left( \sum_j f_j X_j \right) - \phi X_i, where X_i is the concentration of component i, k is the replication rate constant, \sum_j f_j X_j represents the catalytic influence from other components (with f_j as the catalytic efficiency), and \phi ensures normalization of total concentration. This cyclic organization enables beyond individual replicators, potentially bridging simple to complex cellular . Eigen's models have profound applications to the origin of life, positing hypercycles as intermediates in prebiotic where RNA-like polymers could transition from random replication to encoded information processing, overcoming the error catastrophe in primordial soups. In evolutionary , these concepts inspired evolution techniques, such as directed molecular machines, allowing rapid optimization of biomolecules like enzymes and antibodies—Eigen co-founded companies like to commercialize this approach. For viral quasispecies, the theory predicts diversity thresholds that influence , such as in or , where high \mu sustains adaptability but risks delocalization of the fitness peak. Eigen synthesized these ideas in his 1992 book Steps Towards Life: A Perspective on , co-authored with Ruthild Winkler-Oswatitsch. This work integrates physics, chemistry, and to trace life's from self-organizing chemical networks to modern genomes, emphasizing quasispecies and hypercycles as foundational mechanisms.

Personal life and legacy

Family and relationships

Eigen married Elfriede Müller in 1952, and the couple had two children: a son, , born in 1952, and a , , born in 1960. The family resided in , where Eigen established his career at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, maintaining a home life amid his intensive scientific pursuits. In 1972, Eigen married Ruthild Winkler-Oswatitsch, a biophysicist who became his longtime collaborator, particularly on research into and the hypercycle theory. Their partnership extended to co-authoring influential works, such as Steps Towards Life: A Perspective on (1992), blending personal and professional ties. Throughout his life in , Eigen balanced his demanding role as a scientist and institute director with personal interests that enriched family time, including —he was a keen from a musical background—and during holidays. These pursuits provided outlets for relaxation and shared experiences amid his rigorous schedule.

Later years and death

Eigen retired as director of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in in 1995, but he continued his research on and at the institute for many years thereafter. He also maintained collaborations, including biannual visits to the Institute in , , where he worked with his wife, Ruthild Oswatitsch-Eigen, on related projects. In his later years, Eigen faced health challenges that limited his participation in scientific meetings after , though he remained engaged by frequently visiting and contributing to writings, such as co-authoring a on the origins of life in . Despite mobility issues in the , he continued to deliver occasional lectures and stayed involved in the scientific community. Eigen died on February 6, 2019, at his home in , , at the age of 91. Following his passing, the paid tribute to him as a visionary pioneer whose foundational work in profoundly influenced generations of scientists and advanced fields like evolutionary and single-molecule detection techniques.

Awards and honors

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

In 1967, Manfred Eigen was awarded the , sharing the honor with Ronald George Wreyford Norrish and for their pioneering "studies of extremely fast chemical reactions, effected by disturbing the equilibrium by means of very short pulses of energy." Eigen received half of the prize, while the other half was jointly awarded to Norrish and Porter. His specific contribution centered on the development of relaxation methods, which allowed scientists to observe and measure transient intermediate states in chemical reactions occurring on timescales previously considered immeasurable, such as microseconds to milliseconds. The Nobel ceremony took place on December 10, 1967, in , , where Eigen, Norrish, and Porter received their medals from King Gustav VI Adolf. The following day, on December 11, Eigen delivered his Nobel Lecture titled "Immeasurably Fast Reactions," in which he discussed the challenges and breakthroughs in studying rapid kinetics, emphasizing the technique's origins in early experiments with high-frequency sound waves and electrical pulses to perturb chemical equilibria. In the lecture, Eigen highlighted the interdisciplinary potential of these methods, noting their applications beyond to fields like physics and , where understanding could illuminate processes in living systems. The award immediately elevated the status of as a foundational discipline, enabling deeper insights into reaction mechanisms and fostering advancements in biochemistry, such as the study of functions. Eigen's relaxation techniques, recognized by the prize, resolved longstanding issues in measuring fast processes and spurred further research into transient states across scientific domains.

Other major awards

In addition to the Nobel Prize, which marked the pinnacle of his early recognition in , Manfred Eigen received numerous prestigious honors throughout his career, reflecting his profound impact on and . These awards, spanning over two decades, underscore his innovative contributions to understanding in biological systems and rapid reaction dynamics. One of his earliest major accolades was the Nernst-Haber-Bodenstein Prize in 1956, awarded by the Deutsche Bunsengesellschaft für angewandte physikalische Chemie for his pioneering relaxation techniques in studying fast chemical reactions. This was followed by the in 1962 from the , recognizing his foundational work in biophysical methods. In the United States, Eigen was honored with the John Gamble Kirkwood Medal from the in 1963 for his theoretical and experimental advances in and . The Harrison Howe Award from the ACS Rochester Section came in 1965, celebrating his development of methods to measure ultrafast reactions. Shortly thereafter, in 1967, he received the Linus Pauling Medal from the ACS and Sections, jointly awarded for outstanding achievement in chemistry. Later in his career, Eigen's shift toward and earned him the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize in 1992 from the Paul Ehrlich Foundation, specifically for his groundbreaking contributions to understanding biological evolution and its implications for and prebiotic chemistry. He also received the Helmholtz Medal in 1994 from the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities for lifetime achievements in biophysical research. Eigen amassed over 20 international prizes in total, including the Wilhelm Exner Medal in 2011 from the Österreichischer Gewerbeverein (Austrian Trade Association) for his interdisciplinary innovations in science and technology. These honors, along with 14 honorary doctorates from institutions such as Harvard University and the University of Chicago, highlight his enduring legacy across chemistry, physics, and biology.

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