Dr. Yellapragada Subbarow (January 12, 1895 – August 8, 1948) was a visionary Indian American biochemist whose groundbreaking contributions transformed modern medicine. Born into a modest Telugu Brahmin family in Bhimavaram, Madras Presidency (now Andhra Pradesh, India), he overcame early adversities—poverty, academic setbacks, and colonial biases—to pioneer discoveries like adenosine triphosphate (ATP), methotrexate, folic acid, and tetracycline antibiotics. Despite his life-saving innovations, he received little recognition during his lifetime, never earning a Nobel Prize. His legacy is honored through a fungus genus (Subbaromyces) and a jumping spider species (Tanzania yellapragadai) named after him, as well as a 1995 Indian commemorative stamp.
