Ernst Boris Chain

@Biochemists, Facts and Family ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sir Ernst Boris Chain was a biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1945 German Scientists Biochemists Gemini Celebrities Sir Ernst Boris Chain was a biochemist whose works earned him the prestigious Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1945. He jointly won the award with the fellow scientists Sir Alexander Fleming and Sir Howard Walter Florey. The trio was instrumental in developing the world’s first antibiotic, penicillin, which proved to be of immense use in the treatment of wounded soldiers during the World War II. Ernst Boris Chain developed an interest for chemistry from a young age and subsequently completed his graduation in Chemistry and Physiology from the Friedrich Wilhelm University. He later engaged in research work at the Institute of Pathology, Charité Hospital in Berlin, until he was forced to shift to England due to anti-semitic policies of Hitler. He worked in different capacities at Cambridge, Oxford University, and at the University of London. Towards the later part of his career he served as the Director of the International Research Centre for Chemical Microbiology, Superior Institute of Health, in Rome. He along with pathologist Howard Florey isolated and worked on pencillin, which was found by Alexander Fleming almost a decade earlier. The duo was successfully able to identify its antibiotic properties. Post his retirement, he continued delivering lectures.

Personal Details

Birthday: June 19, 1906 Died on: August 12, 1979 Nationality: German Famous: Scientists, Biochemists Spouses: Anne Chain (m. 1948–1979), his death) Birth Place: Berlin, Germany Gender: Male Information Detail Birthday June 19, 1906 Died on August 12, 1979 Nationality German Famous Scientists, Biochemists Spouses Anne Chain (m. 1948–1979), his death) Birth Place Berlin, Germany Gender Male Sun Sign Gemini Born in Berlin, Germany Famous as Biochemist Died at Age 73

Berlin, Germany

Ernst Boris Chain born at Unsplash Birth Place

Ernst Boris Chain married biochemist Annie Chain Beoff-Chain in 1948. The couple had three children; two sons Benjamin and Daniel, and a daughter named Judith. Unsplash Personal Life

He died of heart failure on 12 August 1979, at Mayo General Hospital, in Castlebar, Ireland. Unsplash Personal Life

Ernst Boris Chain was born on 19 June 1906, at Berlin, to chemist and industrialist, Dr. Michael Chain, and his wife, Margarete Eisner. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He completed his school education at Luisengymnasium at Berlin. During his school days he would frequently visit his father’s laboratory and subsequently developed an interest in biochemistry. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1930, he graduated with a degree in Chemistry and Physiology from the Friedrich Wilhelm University at Berlin. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

After completing his graduation, he worked at the Charité Hospital in Berlin for three years. During this period, he focused on enzyme research. Unsplash Career

With the Nazis coming into power he realized that Germany would not be safe for him as he was a Jew. On 2 April 1933, he shifted to London, England. Upon arriving in England, with the assistance of renowned scientist J.B.S. Haldane he received an opportunity to work at the University College Hospital, London. Unsplash Career

After a few months, he was accepted as a PhD student at the Fitzwilliam House affiliated with Cambridge University. At the university, he studied phospholipids under the guidance of biochemist Frederick Gowland Hopkins. Unsplash Career

In 1935, he began working at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology of the Oxford University. The following year he was made demonstrator and lecturer in chemical pathology. Unsplash Career

While pursuing his career as a lecturer, he simultaneously conducted extensive research on diverse areas that include studying the metabolism of tumours, understanding biochemistry techniques, conducting research on lysosomes and snake venom. Unsplash Career

Ernst Boris Chain was a renowned biochemist who was instrumental in refining penicillin and developing the primary antibiotic drug. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	June 19, 1906
Died on	August 12, 1979
Nationality	German
Famous	Scientists, Biochemists
Spouses	Anne Chain (m. 1948–1979), his death)
Birth Place	Berlin, Germany
Gender	Male
Sun Sign	Gemini
Born in	Berlin, Germany
Famous as	Biochemist
Died at Age	73

Ernst Boris Chain

German

Jun 19, 1906

Biography

Personal Details

Berlin, Germany