Carl Nelson Cederstrand (1927–2022): A Biophysicist, an Innovator and a Wonderful Person

Abstract

We provide a glimpse of the personal and professional life of Carl Nelson Cederstrand, most of the personal part is contributed by the daughter Laura Cederstrand (LC), and his research part in the Life Sciences is provided by Govindjee, his early collaborator and friend. Carl is remembered for his critical contributions to the discovery, in 1957, of the Emerson Enhancement Effect that led to the current Z-Scheme of photosynthesis, and later to the absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy of algae through his design and construction of a unique spectrophotometer, at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC). After receiving his PhD at UIUC, he worked at Beckman Instrument’s research division in California, where he designed an oxygen analyser that went to the Moon as part of one of the Apollo missions. Carl is best known for designing many infrared and ultraviolet detectors and creatively applying these in various ways in the life sciences, for which he is listed as inventor in nearly a dozen patents. Above all, Carl is remembered for his inventions that have significantly impacted many areas of the life sciences. We have included here his great insight into and fascination with MG cars. We end this Tribute to Carl with a reminiscence by his wife Darlene Kelly, and our summary of his personal family life. Photosynthesis, Emerson enhancement effect