Cohn, Edwin J.

Cohn, Edwin J. (Joseph)

(1892–1953) biochemist; born in New York City. A pioneer in protein chemistry, he spent his career at Harvard Medical School (1920–53). He performed research on pernicious anemia (1926–32), which led to the eventual isolation of vitamin B12 by other scientists. During World War II, he planned and directed blood fractionation programs for the armed forces; after the war he continued his research on medical uses of such blood components as plasma, gamma globulin, and albumin.