Leon A. Heppel

Leon A. Heppel ( – ) was an American biochemist known for his contributions to the early study of nucleic acid enzymology and bacterial physiology. His research on enzymes involved in RNA metabolism and polynucleotide synthesis helped establish biochemical approaches to the study of nucleic acids. He was a professor of biochemistry at Cornell University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Early life and education Heppel was born in Granger, Utah. He later moved with his family to San Francisco. Originally intending to pursue chemical engineering, he shifted to biochemistry during his undergraduate studies,

During his early research, he demonstrated that sodium and potassium ions can cross biological membranes.

Heppel's laboratory played a role in the early development of methods for synthesizing and analyzing polyribonucleotides, which were later used in studies of the genetic code. In particular, enzymatically synthesized RNA polymers from his laboratory were used in experiments that helped establish codon assignments in the famous Nirenberg and Matthaei experiment. His work on enzymatic synthesis and modification of RNA contributed to experimental approaches for studying nucleic acids. He received several awards for his contributions to biochemistry, including the Hillebrand Award in 1959, from the Chemical Society of Washington, a division of the American Chemical Society.

Personal life Heppel was married to Adelaide Keller Heppel for more than 60 years. He had a strong interest in the arts and was known for incorporating art-related questions into his lectures. He died on April 9, 2010, in Ithaca, New York.