Folkers

It is with great sorrow that the scientific community involved in coenzyme Q10 research announces that on the morning of Tuesday December 9th, Dr. Karl Folkers passed away. He was a leading figure in the field of biochemical and bio medical research on coenzyme Q. Dr. Karl August Folkers was born in Decatur, Illinois on September 1st 1906, and educated at the University of Illinois, the University of Wisconsin and Yale University. Combining the disciplines of chemistry and medicine was the basis of his research career, which spanned more than 60 years. During this time, he was a key figure in many important advances, including the elucidation of the structure of vitamin B6 and then its synthesis, and isolation and characterization of vitamin B12 . He also conducted substantial research in the field of peptide chemistry and its endocrinological implications. In the late 1950's, Dr. Folkers and his group of co-workers at Merck & Co. were the first to identify the structure of and to synthesize coenzyme Q10, which Dr. F. Crane had at that time isolated from beef heart mitochondria. From then on, he continued to devote his primary research emphasis to coenzyme Q and its uses in clinical medicine.  He covered important positions and received numerous awards and citations and we would like to mention just a few of them.  He was presented a Presidential Certificate of Merit by Harry Truman in 1948.  In 1951 he received the Scientific Award from the Board of Directors, Merck & Co. Inc., with the citation: "To honor his vision and research acumen, and to record his many scientific contributions to mankind, especially his research on antibiotics and his achievements in the isolation and synthesis of many important vitamins, culminating in the isolation and characterization of crystalline vitamin B12 ." He was elected President of the American Chemical Society in 1962.  He was co-recipient, in 1969, of the VanMeter Prize given by the American Thyroid Association, in recognition of discovery concerning the structure and synthesis of the thyrotropin releasing hormone of the hypothalamus.  In 1986 he was awarded the Priestly Medal by the Board of Directors of the American Chemical Society.  In 1990 his numerous merits were rewarded with the President's National Medal of Science by George Bush with the citation "For his discoveries and leadership in combining basic chemical research and clinical medicine to achieve new treatments of diseases which have enhanced the quality of life and extended survival rates for countless people."  I had the honor to meet Dr. Folkers in the late 60's and to work with him for almost 30 years. He contacted me because I was doing research on the basic bioenergetic aspects of coenzyme Q and he thought that my medical background could be useful to widen this field of research. I went to his Institute of Biomedical Research in Texas when I was 26, and following his guidelines I extended my interest from beef heart and yeast mitochondria to human heart and muscle mitochondria, and many things developed from that.  The last time I saw him was just a few weeks ago: we had a long and fruitful discussion on the many aspects of coenzyme Q10 and possible new developments. He never thought of retiring and was actively involved in research right to the end. His guidance and encouragement will certainly sustain me and many other researchers with whom he cooperated.