Yellapragada SubbaRow immigrated from India to Boston in 1923 and worked as a Harvard dormitory attendant to pay for his studies. During a 25-year career in American science, he identified ATP as the fundamental energy molecule of cells and synthesized folic acid to enable widespread prenatal care. His laboratory also created the first broad-spectrum antibiotic and the first drug to put childhood leukemia into remission. Despite his achievements, racial barriers in academia blocked his promotion, and he died at his desk in 1948 without receiving a tenured position.
