Much of the science underlying nutrition has come from biochemical studies. This certainly is true in our understanding of the metabolism and function of such micronutrient cofactors as vitamins and metal ions. My own interest stems from an early desire to understand the molecular events in an organism and ultimately to know the fate of those nutrients that are needed to maintain life. My training in chemistry, biochemistry, and nutrition was helpful in gaining knowledge about the interface among these disciplines. My interests followed an understandable trail, beginning with those factors that cause plant galls and continuing through carbohydrate metabolism to vitamins. After all, from studying such pentitols as ribitol with Professor Touster at Vanderbilt University through indoctrination with enzymes, vitamins, and coenzymes with Professor Snell at the University of California-Berkeley, it was rational to begin my independent academic life investigating the enzymes that convert a ribityl-containing vitamin, namely riboflavin, to its operational flavocoenzymes. While at Cornell University, I encountered Professor Wright, who shared an interest in biotin. My realization that there was a similar need to determine the metabolism of lipoate followed logically. Interactions with inorganic chemists such as Professor Sigel at Basel University, as well as inorganic chemists at Cornell, led to an interest in metal ions. As summarized in this article, my colleagues and I are pleased to have contributed to both basic knowledge about cofactors and to have utilized much of this information in extensions to applications. Along the way, I have served by teaching, researching, and administrating at the universities that provided my positions in academe, and I have worked to share the load of numerous public and professional duties that are summarized herein. Altogether it has been an enjoyable career to be a nutritional biochemist. I recommend it for those who follow.

中文翻译：

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成为营养生物化学家。

营养方面的许多科学都来自生化研究。在我们对诸如维生素和金属离子之类的微量营养素辅助因子的代谢和功能的理解中，这确实是正确的。我自己的兴趣来自于对生物体中分子事件的初步了解，并最终了解维持生命所需的那些营养素的命运。我在化学，生物化学和营养方面的培训有助于获得有关这些学科之间接口的知识。我的兴趣之路是可以理解的，从引起植物gall虫的那些因素开始，一直到碳水化合物代谢为维生素。毕竟，从范德比尔特大学的Touster教授研究诸如核糖醇这样的戊糖到通过酶，维生素的灌输，并与加州大学伯克利分校的斯内尔教授一起使用辅酶，开始我独立的学术生涯是很有意义的，这是研究将含核黄素的维生素（即核黄素）转化为可操作的黄素辅酶的酶。在康奈尔大学期间，我遇到了怀特教授，他对生物素有共同的兴趣。我意识到逻辑上也有类似的需求来确定硫辛酸酯的代谢。与无机化学家（如巴塞尔大学的Sigel教授）以及康奈尔大学的无机化学家的相互作用引起了对金属离子的兴趣。正如本文所概述的，我和我的同事们很高兴为辅助因子的基础知识做出了贡献，并在应用程序扩展中利用了许多此类信息。一路走来，我一直在教书，在提供我在学术界职位的大学中进行研究和管理，我已经分担了本文概述的众多公共和专业职责。总体而言，成为营养生物化学家是一件令人愉快的职业。我推荐给那些追随者。