Gertrude B. Elion was an American Nobel Laureate, biochemist, and pharmacologist who co-developed groundbreaking drugs for leukemia, herpes, and organ transplant rejection. Explore the legacy of a historic chemist and test your knowledge of their discoveries and impact on chemistry with this quiz.

 

In which field did Gertrude Elion receive the Nobel Prize?

1. Chemistry
2. Physiology or Medicine

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Answer 2) Physiology or Medicine

 

 

 

What influenced Gertrude Elion to choose chemistry as her major in college?

1. Her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut
2. Her interest in photography
3. The death of her grandfather from cancer
4. Her fascination with computer science

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Answer 3

 

 

 

Elion and her team developed the first selective antiviral medication, known as:

1. AZT
2. Acyclovir
3. Pyrimethamine
4. Trimethoprim

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Answer: 2) Acyclovir

 

 

 

Which of the following drugs was NOT co-developed by Gertrude B. Elion?

1. Acyclovir
2. Pyrimethamine
3. Aspirin
4. Azathioprine

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Answer: 3) Aspirin

 

 

 

Many of the drugs Elion and her team developed were based on …

1. peptides
2. β-lactams
3. nucleosides
4. steroids

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Answer: 3) nucleosides

 

 

 

What type of bacteria was used to evaluate the effects of compounds on microbial growth in Gertrude Elion’s research?

1. Escherichia coli
2. Lactobacillus casei
3. Staphylococcus aureus
4. Streptococcus pneumoniae

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Answer 2

 

 

 

 

Reference

• Catharina Goedecke, Gertrude B. Elion and the “Antiviral Odyssey”, ChemistryViews 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/chemv.202400012

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