Pauling, Linus Carl

Pauling, Linus Carl (1901-1994), American chemist and physicist, whose investigations into the structure of molecules led to discoveries of how chemicals bond.Pauling also investigated the atomic structure of proteins, including haemoglobin, and discovered that cell deformity in sickle-cell anaemia is caused by a genetic defect that influences the production of haemoglobin. He was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work.