Wang 600 bench computer, Massachusetts, United States, 1960-1970

Wang 600 bench computer, used in the Biochemistry Dept, Sheffield University, 1972-1979

The Biochemistry department at the University of Sheffield used this bench computer, a Wang 600, for experimental and statistical analysis in the 1970s. The Wang 600 was introduced in 1972. It is a programmable calculator with built-in memory and has a single line display panel. It also has a built-in impact printer used with a roll of paper. To save or retrieve a computer program a cassette tape would have been placed in the cassette tape drive. The cabinet design is sturdy for use in the laboratory.

University departments are at the forefront of research and many important scientific discoveries are made there. The department of Biochemistry at Sheffield was founded in 1938 when Sir Hans Krebs (1900-81) was a lecturer there. Krebs is most remembered for his discovery of the ‘citric acid cycle’. This is the series of reactions where cells produce energy. Krebs was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1953 for his discovery.