Walter G. Url

Walter Gustav Url is a Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Vienna who is notable for his work on membranes, plant physiology, and scientific film.[1]

Walter G. Url
Born (1929-10-09) October 9, 1929
Vienna, Austria
NationalityAustrian
CitizenshipAustrian
Alma materUniversity of Vienna, Ph.D. Plant Cell Biology 1952
Known forCell biology, plant physiology, microscopy
Scientific career
FieldsCell biology, plant physiology, microscopy
InstitutionsUniversity of Vienna
Natural History Museum, Vienna
WebsiteWalter G. Url

Personal life

Walter Gustav Url FRMS was born on October 9, 1929, in Vienna, Austria. He completed Gymnasium in Diefenbachgasse and studied biology and geography at the University of Vienna. He married Edith Zapletal, later a secondary school teacher in the Gymnasium Rahlgasse (de), on December 28, 1955. They had two children: Elisabeth and Michael. Edith died after a long battle with illness in 2016, and Michael unexpectedly in 2018. Url lives in Ottakring in Vienna.

Academic career

Url earned his Ph.D. in plant cell biology from the University of Vienna in 1952, studying the permeability of plasma membranes in plant cells under Karl Höfler (de). After receiving his Ph.D., Url became an assistant in the university's Institute of Plant Physiology until earning his habilitation for work on the radiation tolerance of plant cells in 1959, becoming Docent in the anatomy and physiology of plants. Url continued his career in 1968 with a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota with a grant from the Max Kade foundation, in which he focused on the water permeability of the protoplasm of plant cells.[2]

He returned to Vienna to become an associate professor at the University of Vienna in 1970, establishing a working group in cell physiology and scientific film in the (now dissolved) Institute of Plant Physiology. He became a full professor for anatomy and physiology of plants with a specialization in teaching pharmacy students from 1983, under the Faculty of Life Sciences. He additionally helped establish[3] the Institute of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Vienna. Url retired from the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Vienna in 1999 as Professor Emeritus, joining the Natural History Museum, Vienna as a fellow under director Bernd Lötsch (de). He helped establish the museum's "Mikrotheater",[4] a long-running public exhibition of microscopic films.

Research and teaching

Url's scientific career focused on two major topics, which generally intertwined: plant cell physiology with a focus on membrane characteristics and plasmolysis, and the development of microscopy, particularly microcinematography. He also valued field work as an important basis for further lab work, especially in his studies of algal flora.[5][6][7] This work also spurred his interest in ecology and environmentalism.

In his work on plant cell physiology, Url studied membrane permeability[8][9][10][2] and the tolerance of plant cells to stress factors such as heavy metals and radiation.[11][12][13]

His research in this field was often motivated by and tied to his work in microscopy and advancing the field of microcinematography. Investigating the dynamic properties of living cells demanded higher resolution light microscopy to record cellular structures in motion, which had to that point mainly been visible in static electron microscope photographs. These included pioneering work with the ultraviolet microscope in 1964[14] & 1987[15][16] introduction of video techniques to improve microscope resolution allowing the observation of the endoplasmic reticulum[17][18][19][20] and organelle structure[21][22][23] in living plant cells.

This development of film techniques for dynamic cell processes led to an interest in science education and communication. Url produced numerous movies covering cell structure and functions in living organisms for a student audience.[24][25][26][6] This work was done in close collaboration with his colleague Oswald Kiermayer[27] from the University of Salzburg as well as the support of Hans-Karl Galle[28] of the Institute for Scientific Film (de) and Siegfried Hermann of the Austrian Institute of Scientific Film.[29] Several of the films won scientific awards, including a 1986 state award for outstanding achievement in audiovisual production and education from the Republic of Austria for a series of films on physiological processes in plant cells.

His interest in education extended to ensuring the audiovisual microscopic knowledge he had was passed on to his students, and Url spent considerable time and effort on sharing it with future generations of scientists.[30][31]

References
  1. Lichtscheidl, Irene K.; Lang, Ingeborg; Luetz-Meindl, Ursula; Hepler, Peter K. (2000-09-01). "Walter G. Url - on the occasion of his 70th birthday". Protoplasma. 212 (3): 135–136. doi:10.1007/BF01282914. ISSN 1615-6102.
  2. Url, W. G. (1971-12-01). "The site of penetration resistance to water in plant protoplasts". Protoplasma. 72 (4): 427–447. doi:10.1007/BF01289512. ISSN 1615-6102.
  3. "Interview with Professor Emeritus Dr. Ibrahim Elmadfa" (PDF). The Association for Nutritional Scientists Austria. February 2017.
  4. "Mikrotheater NHM Vienna". Natural History Museum, Vienna. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  5. Loub, Walter; Url, Walter; Kiermayer, Oswald; Diskus, Alfred; Hilmbauer, Karl (1954-03-11). "Die Algenzonierung in Mooren des Oesterreichischen Alpengebietes" (PDF). Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Klasse. 163: 447–494. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-26370-9_1.
  6. Hoefler, Karl; Url, Walter; Diskus, Alfred (1956-12-01). "Speicherkonkurrenz im Protoplasten einiger Meeresalgen bei Rhodamin-B-Färbung". Protoplasma (in German). 45 (4): 630–632. doi:10.1007/BF01252681. ISSN 1615-6102.
  7. Pruzsinszky, Siegfried; Url, Walter (1961), Pruzsinszky, Siegfried; Url, Walter (eds.), Ein Beitrag zur Desmidiaceenflora des Lungaues (in German), Springer Vienna, pp. 1–8, doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-3875-5_1, ISBN 9783709138755
  8. Url, Walter (1952-09-01). "Permeabilitaetsstudien mit Fettsaeureamiden". Protoplasma (in German). 41 (3): 287–301. doi:10.1007/BF01246610. ISSN 1615-6102.
  9. "51. Karl Hoefler und Walter Url: Kann man osmotische Werte plasmolytisch bestimmen?". Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft. 70 (10): 462–476. 1957-12-01. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.1957.tb01297.x (inactive 2020-05-21). ISSN 1438-8677.
  10. Url, Walter (1959-09-01). "Vergleichende Untersuchungen Ueber die Resistenz pflanzlicher Plasmen gegen Natriumkarbonat". Protoplasma (in German). 51 (3): 338–370. doi:10.1007/BF01252470. ISSN 1615-6102.
  11. Url, Walter (1956-03-01). "Ueber Schwermetall-, zumal Kupferresistenz einiger Moose". Protoplasma (in German). 46 (1): 768–793. doi:10.1007/BF01248913. ISSN 1615-6102.
  12. Biebl, Richard; Url, Walter (1958-09-01). "UV-Strahlenwirkungen auf Zellen vonAllium cepa, besonders deren Chondriosomen und Plastiden". Protoplasma (in German). 49 (3): 329–352. doi:10.1007/BF01249839. ISSN 1615-6102.
  13. Biebl, Richard; Url, Walter; Janecek, Gertrude (1961-09-01). "Untersuchungen Ueber Strahlenschutz an Pflanzenzellen". Protoplasma (in German). 53 (3): 320–376. doi:10.1007/BF01247865. ISSN 1615-6102.
  14. Url, Walter (1964-03-01). "Einige Beobachtungen an Innenepidermen der Zwiebelschuppe vonAllium cepa L. im ultravioletten Licht". Protoplasma (in German). 59 (1): 197–200. doi:10.1007/BF01247863. ISSN 1615-6102.
  15. Lichtscheidl, I.K.; Url, W.G. "Investigation of the protoplasm of Allium cepa inner epidermal cells using ultraviolet microscopy". European Journal of Cell Biology. 43: 93–97 – via Researchgate.
  16. Lichtscheidl, Irene K.; Url, Walter Gustav (1987), The cytoplasm of Allium cepa inner epidermal cells observed by UV-microscopy at 310nm, Oesterreichisches Bundesinstitut fuer den Wissenschaftlichen Film, retrieved 2019-10-02
  17. Url, Walter (1959-09-01). "Phasenoptische Untersuchungen an Fruchtfleischzellen vonSymphoricarpus racemosus Hooker". Protoplasma (in German). 51 (3): 399–414. doi:10.1007/BF01252474. ISSN 1615-6102.
  18. Url, Walter Gustav (1969), Elemente des endoplasmatischen Retikulums - Nicotiana-Gewebekultur, IWF (Goettingen), retrieved 2019-10-04
  19. Url, Walter; Bolhà r-Nordenkampf, Harald (1965-08-01). "Beitraege zur Frage der lichtmikroskopischen Sichtbarkeit des endoplasmatischen Retikulums in Pflanzenzellen". Österreichische botanische Zeitschrift (in German). 112 (4): 586–602. doi:10.1007/BF01373187. ISSN 1615-6110.
  20. Lichtscheidl, Irene K.; Url, W. G. (1990-02-01). "Organization and dynamics of cortical endoplasmic reticulum in inner epidermal cells of onion bulb scales". Protoplasma. 157 (1): 203–215. doi:10.1007/BF01322653. ISSN 1615-6102.
  21. Hoefler, Karl; Url, Walter (1958-06-01). "Das Verhalten der Chondriosomen bei Kappenplasmolyse". Protoplasma (in German). 49 (2): 307–319. doi:10.1007/BF01246488. ISSN 1615-6102.
  22. Url, Walter (1964-06-01). "Phasenoptische Untersuchungen an Innenepidermen der Zwiebelschuppe vonAllium cepa L.". Protoplasma (in German). 58 (2): 294–311. doi:10.1007/BF01252714. ISSN 1615-6102.
  23. Meindl, Ursula; Url, Walter G. (1985-11-30). "Observation of Electron Dense Fibrillar Bodies in the Desmid Closterium lunula" (PDF). Phyton. 25: 297–300 – via Zobodat.
  24. Url, Walter Gustav (1974), Plasmolyse und Zytorrhyse, IWF (Goettingen), retrieved 2019-10-04
  25. Kiermayer, Oswald; Url, Walter Gustav; Galle, Hans-Karl (1979), Protoplasmic Streaming, IWF (Goettingen), retrieved 2019-10-04
  26. Kiermayer, Oswald; Url, Walter Gustav (1983), Locomotion of Plant Cells, IWF (Goettingen), retrieved 2019-10-04
  27. Meindl, Ursula; Url, Walter (1989-05-16). "Oswald Kiermayer" (PDF). Phyton. 29: 1–6 – via Zobodat.
  28. "Hans-Karl Galle". IMDb. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  29. "Institutsgeschichte des OeWF | Oesterreichische Mediathek". www.mediathek.at. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  30. Url, Walter (1962). "Makro- und Mikrophotographie in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart" (PDF). Schriften des Vereins zur Verbreitung Naturwissenschaftlicher Kenntnisse Wien. 102: 1–34 – via Zobodat.
  31. Url, Walter (1989). "Von der Daguerreotypie zur T-max Emulsion" (PDF). Schriften des Vereins zur Verbreitung Naturwissenschaftlicher Kenntnisse Wien. 129: 105–128 – via Zobodat.
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