Norman Henry Giles | |
|---|---|
 Norman H. Giles | |
| Born | August 6, 1915 |
| Died | October 16, 2006 (aged 91) |
| Alma mater | Emory University (BA), Harvard University (PhD) |
| Known for | Mutations of Neurospora crassa |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Microbial genetics |
| Institutions | Yale University, University of Georgia |
Norman Henry Giles (August 6, 1915 – October 16, 2006) was an American microbial geneticist who studied mutations of Neurospora crassa.
Norman H. Giles was a pioneer in genetics research. He was a member of the Botany Department at Yale University starting as an Instructor in Botany and rising to Professor of Biology (1951-1961). He then became Professor of Genetics (1961-1972). In 1972 Giles accepted a professorship at the University of Georgia where he established an active program in genetics that in 1980 became the Department of Genetics. He retired in 1986. Giles made important scientific contributions in the areas of intragenic complementation, gene conversion and analysis of gene clusters. His early work on intragenic complementation led to the insight that complementation between allelic mutants is of widespread occurrence and likely involves interactions occurring in the cytoplasm between defective gene products, that is between polypeptides.[1] This early insight led to numerous further studies of intragenic complementation that amplified this initial insight (see for example[2]).
