Boman's pioneering research on insect immunity formed the basis for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine that was awarded to Jules Hoffman in 2011.
[1] Hans G. Boman graduated from Uppsala University, where he obtained his PhD in biochemistry in 1958 with Professor Arne Tiselius.
Between 1966 and 1976 he built up the Department of Microbiology at Umeå University, where his research focused on mechanisms for bacterial antibiotic resistance.
In 1976, Boman became professor of microbiology at Stockholm University where his work in moths identified the first antimicrobial peptides of animals in 1981.
Owing to Boman's discovery, immune-inducible peptides were used to identify competent or deficient immune responses, ultimately leading to the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine being awarded to Jules Hoffmann for his work on insect immune signalling.
The Nordic scientific community mourned his loss in 2008, both with a posthumous acknowledgement of his lifetime's achievements in 2009,[6] and by hosting the “Hans G. Boman” symposium held by Stockholm University on the 10-year anniversary of his death.