Sir Ernst Chain (1906-1979), Biochemist

Sitter in 6 portraits
Berlin-born biochemist, whose major contribution to medicine was to purify penicillin, making it stable enough to cure bacterial infections. Chain came to England in 1933, conducting his research in Oxford. In 1945 he shared a Nobel Prize with his colleague Howard Florey, and Alexander Fleming, who had discovered penicillin. He received a knighthood in 1969.