Background on Herman F. Mark

Herman Francis Mark was considered a pioneer in the field of polymer science

(American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmarks, n.d.). In fact, he was regarded as the “Father of Polymer Science” (Percec, 2023). Herman Mark entered the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1940 (American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmarks, n.d.). By 1946, he founded the nation’s first research institute for polymer science called the Polymer Research Institute (American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmarks, n.d.)​​.

Image 1: Photo of Herman F. Mark; Source: (Hargittai, 2022)

The Revival of Mark’s Work on the Biological Significance of Protein Folding from the 1920s in 1951

In 1951, Herman Mark published a paper titled Biological Significance of Folding and Unfolding of Protein Molecules. Mark’s paper was a response to a published paper during that time period . Mark argued that his work more than 20 years ago had the same hypothesis and mentioned how his work from that time proposed a new theory to muscle contraction. He also states that his work was the first to demonstrate the existence of fibrillar proteins in silk, tendon, and muscle. Though he acknowledges the work of the current authors, he concludes that their work was done at a later time than his own. Mark pursued attribution for his work from the 1920s in 1951. Though his work is from the 1920s, he is continuing to add to literature on his works connection to concepts observed in medicine in the 1950s. Though Mark was conventionally a polymer scientist, his work demonstrated biological significance and influenced the interpretation of sources during the 1950s on concepts that remained to be elucidated.  

Image 2: Excerpts from Herman Mark’s Biological Significance of Folding and Unfolding of Protein Molecules (Source: Poly Archives, Herman F. Mark Collection)

F.R. Eirich’s Personal Account of Herman F. Marks Guidance in Applying Polymer Science to Understanding Biological Connections

In The Interfacial Macromolecule, Eirich discusses his research under the guidance of Herman F. Mark during the 1950s at Polytechnic and how Mark’s work and insights informed Eirich’s work (Eirich, 1981). He explains that the document is an account of his research sparked by a conversation that he had with Mark (Eirich, 1981).

Image 3: Excerpts from F.R. Eirich’s The Interfacial Macromolecule (Eirich, 1981) [highlights added for emphasis]

Eirich’s work emphasized how polymers influenced biological processes including: Biological agglutination, Immune reactions, Cell recognition, Drug direction, and Genetic reproduction.

Moreover, he explained how his studies on conformational changes in proteins could inform work on blood clotting, cardiovascular health, biocompatible materials for implants, and protein folding within biological cells. He mentions that the concepts from his work were “godfathered by Mark” (Eirich, 1981). Protein conformation, especially in the case of globular proteins,  was observed to change upon absorption. Eirich highlighted the case of serum albumin.  Serum albumin was known to line the walls of blood vessels and assist with preventing other blood components from adhering to the walls and form clots.  This means that if albumin was adsorbed onto implants, they could also prevent clotting. However, Eirich compares a change in their conformation to synthetic linear polyelectrolytes blood and deduces that changes in structure could cause plaque formation. He proposes polymers that would need to be co-adsorbed in this case to prevent plaque formation.

He then discusses how polymers can be used to make implanted devices biocompatible, for instance, by aiding in the prevention of blood clotting. He mentions that water soluble or negatively charged polymers could be grafted onto sites on the implants upon activation by radiation.

Lastly, Eirich reflects on the fundamentals of polymer science of being at the core of engineering, biology, and material science. He poses questions as to how this research could help to understand the formation of cell membranes and how other biological proteins are regulated.

Image 4: Excerpts from F.R. Eirich’s The Interfacial Macromolecule (Eirich, 1981) [highlights added for emphasis]

Looking Forward: The Continued Work of Herman F. Mark in the Realm of Medical Science

Image 5: Excerpts from Herman F. Mark’s Synthetic Polymers in Medical Sciences (Source: Poly Archives; Herman F. Mark Collection)

The work of Mark as it related to medical science extended far beyond the 1950s. In 1968, Mark published a work titled Synthetic Polymers in Medical Sciences. His work in polymers continued to inform research in the medical sciences and he remained active in contributing to the topic. Mark advocated for an interdisciplinary approach bringing together physicists, chemists, physiologists, and surgeons. He raises a point about the possible detrimental interactions between a body and an implant, considering both biodegradable and biostable states of polymers and the factors that impact it. Mark adds to the conversation about how temperature, chemical reagents, and radiation can affect the stability of polymers, and hence has implications for implants in bodies.  Mark continued to raise points about the biostability of polymers in medical research during the 1960s.

References:

American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmarks. (n.d.). Herman Mark and the Polymer Research Institute—Landmark. American Chemical Society. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/polymerresearchinstitute.html

Biological Significance of Folding and Unfolding Protein Molecules, 1951 May 5; Herman F.

Mark Collection; RG 002; Box:11; Folder: 52; Poly Archives at Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology, New York University.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2023.10.021

Eirich, F. R. (1981). The Interfacial Macromolecule. In Polymer Science Overview (Vol. 175, pp. 143–164). AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-1981-0175.ch012

Hargittai, I. (2022). Herman F. Mark – Pioneer of polymer chemistry and initiator of the gas-phase electron diffraction technique of molecular structure determination. Structural Chemistry, 33(4), 1379–1384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11224-022-01937-9

Percec, V. (2023). Herman F. Mark: Pioneer in structural chemistry, molecular biology, and polymer science. Chem, 9(12), 3386–3393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2023.10.021

Synthetic Polymers in Medical Sciences, 1968; Herman F. Mark Collection; RG 002; Box:11;

Folder: 102; Poly Archives at Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology, New York University.