Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Bielitser--a gifted scientist and outstanding biochemist, a founder of the scientific school

Professor V. O. Belitser, Doctor of Science (biology), (30.09.1906, Ryazan, RF-04.03.1988 Kyiv, Ukraine), Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, graduated from the physico-mathematical faculty of the Moscow University in speciality "physico-chemical biology". In 1934-1943 he worked at the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine (Moscow) where he was engaged in research of the relation between the respiratory system and glycolytic reactions in the animal tissues. V. O. Belitser established the effect of creatin on the muscular respiration on the role of creative phosphate in this process. He was the first to demonstrate that the anaerobic phosphorylation is bound to respiration. He investigated stechiometric relations between the joint phosphate binding and oxygen absorption and estimated thermodynamic importance of this process, he showed that the energy of electron transfer from the substrate to oxygen is a source of formation of three ATP molecules per one atom of absorbed oxygen. From 1944 to 1988 V. O. Belitser worked at the Institute of Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukr.SSR (Kyiv), where he headed the Laboratory of Enzymes (then proteins), and from 1966 he headed the Department of Protein Structure and Function; for a certain period (1969-1972) he headed the Institute as its director. Investigations of properties of native and denaturated proteins jointly with K. I. Kotkova led to the creation of blood substitute from blood serum proteins of cattle--BK-8. The school of V. O. Belitser is known by studying the molecular mechanism of one of the basic reactions of blood coagulation--fibrinogen transformation to fibrin, by finding out the organization and function of fibrinogen and fibrin. It was proved experimentally that the specific polymerization centres significance for the fibrin lattice formation are of essential significance for the fibrin lattice formation, that fibrinogen to fibrin transformation occurs in two stages--enzymatic and polymerizational ones. V. O. Belitser proposed the mechanism of fibrinogen transformation to fibrin, as soon as he had substantiated the kinetic theory of this reaction; domain structure of fibrinogen has been investigated. Such diagnostic tests as the methods of definition of the products of fibrinogen and fibrin splitting in urine (for differential diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases) were developed and put into medical practice under his guidance. V. O. Belitser and members of his school have published above 300 scientific works, prepared 5 doctors and 25 candidates of science. The selfless work of the scientists was honoured with high state awards--the Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Labour Red Banner, the Order of Oktober Revolution, that of Friendship of Peoples and with numerous medals.