Biography.guide
Home › People › Engineer › Gilbert Levin
Portrait of Gilbert Levin

Gilbert Levin

1924 – 2021

American engineer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Gilbert Levin

Lived 1924 – 2021 (aged 97). Gilbert Levin was an American engineer.

Gilbert Victor Levin (April 23, 1924 – July 26, 2021) was an American engineer, the founder of Biospherics and the principal investigator of the Viking mission Labeled Release experiment.

In 1997, Levin published his conclusion that a 1976 Viking lander had discovered living microorganisms on Mars. He is noted for still claiming that his experiment on board the 1976 Viking Mars landers to detect microscopic life on Mars rendered a true positive result. On April 12, 2012, an international team including Levin reported their analysis "support the interpretation that the Viking LR experiment did detect extant microbial life on Mars." The team used cluster analysis of the Labeled Release experiments of the Viking program.

He was one of the science advisers of the International Committee Against Mars Sample Return.

He also patented an inexpensive method to make tagatose, an artificial sweetener, in 1988.

Levin died in Bethesda, Maryland after an aortic dissection on July 26, 2021, at the age of 97.

Publications Can Chirality Give Proof of Extinct or Extant Life?

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Gilbert Victor Levin

People in Gilbert Levin's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Gilbert Levin's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Gilbert Levin?

American engineer (1924-2021)

When was Gilbert Levin born?

Gilbert Levin was born on 23 April 1924 in Baltimore.

When did Gilbert Levin die?

Gilbert Levin died on 26 July 2021.

What was Gilbert Levin's occupation?

Gilbert Levin was an engineer.

What nationality was Gilbert Levin?

Gilbert Levin was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Gilbert Levin

· Wikidata: Q3821433

· DBpedia: Gilbert Levin

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gilbert Levin. https://biography.guide/gilbert-levin/

MLA: "Gilbert Levin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gilbert-levin/.

Chicago: "Gilbert Levin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gilbert-levin/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:27 UTC