Ernst Boris Chain

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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