born May 7, 1939, Montreal, Que., Can.
Canadian-born U.S. molecular biologist.
He studied at MIT and the University of Colorado and has taught at Yale University since 1971. Working independently, Altman and Thomas Cech discovered that RNA , previously believed to be simply a passive carrier of genetic codes between different parts of the living cell, could also initiate and carry out (i.e., catalyze) some reactions, opening up new fields of research and biotechnology. The two shared a 1989 Nobel Prize.