description Georges Köhler Overview
Georges Köhler (1946–1995) was a German immunologist who, while working as a postdoctoral researcher at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, collaborated with César Milstein to develop the hybridoma technique in 1975. By fusing antibody-producing spleen cells from immunized mice with immortal myeloma cells, they created cell lines that produce unlimited quantities of identical monoclonal antibodies. Köhler and Milstein shared the 1984 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Niels Kaj Jerne.
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Georges Köhler ranks #14 of 150 in the Physician ranking, behind Ernst Chain, ahead of Emil von Behring.
help Georges Köhler FAQ
What role did Georges Köhler play in creating hybridoma technology?
As a postdoctoral researcher in César Milstein's Cambridge laboratory, Köhler worked on fusing antibody-producing spleen cells with immortal myeloma cells. Their 1975 method created hybridomas capable of continuously producing a single antibody.
Why fuse a B cell with a myeloma cell?
A normal antibody-producing B cell provides the desired specificity but does not survive indefinitely in culture. A myeloma cell supplies continued growth, so the fused hybridoma combines specific antibody production with practical immortality.
Which Nobel Prize did Georges Köhler receive?
Köhler shared the 1984 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with César Milstein and Niels Kaj Jerne. His share recognized the discovery of the principle for producing monoclonal antibodies.
Where was the Köhler and Milstein hybridoma work performed?
The collaboration took place at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. Köhler arrived there as a postdoctoral fellow in 1974 and published the landmark work with Milstein the following year.
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