Cornforth, John

CORNFORTH, JOHN (19I7-). An Australian-born chemist who won the Nobel prize lor chemistry in 1975 with Vladimir Prelog for work on the chemical synthesis of otganic compounds. Although deaf since childhood, he attained his doctorate from Oxford and held prestigious posts all over the world, as well as authoring many papers on organic and biochemical subjects. 

Sir John Warcup Cornforth (1917-2004) was born in Sydney, Australia, and earned his Ph.D. from Oxford University in 1941 working with Sir Robert Robinson. He was on the staff of the National Institute for Medical Research in London from 1946 to 1962, at Shell Research Ltd. (1962-1975), and ultimately at Sussex University (1975-1982). Profoundly deaf since his teens, he worked in constant collaboration with his wife, Rita Harradence. He received the 1975 Nobel Prize in chemistry. 

Shell" and Biotechnology. Xanthan is manufactured by fermentation, a biotechnological process. How could "Shell", an oil company, be interested in such processes The Royal Dutch/Shell Group is, however, no newcomer to biotechnology. The Milstead Laboratory of Chemical Enzymology was set up in 1962 and was headed by Professor John Cornforth, who went on to win the 1975 Nobel prize for Chemistry shortly after he retired. In 1970 a fermentation laboratory was built on the same site. 

See the account in Williams, Robert Robinson, 7879 and [Lord] Alexander Todd and [Sir] John Cornforth, "Robert Robinson," in Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 22 (1976) 465478. 

John Cornforth Great Britain stereochemistry of enzyme-catalyzed... 

John W. Cornforth and Vladimir Prelog Chemistry Stereochemistry of organic molecules and of enzymatic reactions... 

John Warcup Cornforth (1917-), Australian-English chemist, receives the Nobel Prize for his work on the stereochemistry of enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Vladimir Prelog (1906- ), Croatian-Swiss chemist, also receives the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his research into the stereochemistry of organic molecules and reactions. 

Universal in plants as abscission, dormancy stomatal closure phytohormone John Cornforth (Australia, UK, Nobel Prize, 1975, Chemistry, terpenes) Ilex paraguayensis (mate) (Aquifoliaceae), Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae), Paullinia cupana (Sapindaceae), Cola acuminata (Sterculiaceae), Camellia sinensis (Theaceae)... 

Steroids arc lieavily modifted triterpeues that are btoeyntheaized in orjEftnisms from the acyclic hydrocarbon aqualeiio (SSection 27.6). The-e ci pathway by which thia remarkable transformation is accomplished lengthy and complex, but the key steps have now been worked out, with notable contributions made by Konrad Bloch and John Cornforth, who received hJohcl Prizes for their eiforts. 

I am indebted to Martyn Berry and Professor Sir John Cornforth AC FRS for their many valuable comments on the draft manuscript and particularly to Professor Alwyn Davies FRS for his substantial help and encouragement throughout the preparation of the manuscript and diagrams. 

As techniques for structure determination by X-ray diffraction i evolved, molecules of even greater complexity could be studied. Two ilDolecules of special biological interest were penicillin, the important ntibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming, and vitamin B12, used tin the treatment of pernicious anemia. Several possible structures had kbeen proposed for penicillin, but the / -lactam structure was considered wmlikely by Robert Robinson and John Cornforth from the point of view... 

Sir John W. Cornforth, "The Trouble with Synthesis," Australian Journal of Chemistry, 46, 157-170(1993). 

John Cornforth, Vladimir Prelog 1921 Frederick Soddy... 

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