Research Edward Abraham

he won rockefeller foundation scholarship , spent year in stockholm @ biokemiska institut.

he moved oxford , became part of research team led sir howard florey @ sir william dunn school of pathology, responsible development of penicillin , medical applications. sir edward involved in purification process , determination of chemical structure. in 1940 edward discovered penicillinase cause of bacterial resistance antibiotics such penicillin. in october 1943 abraham , sir ernst boris chain proposed novel beta-lactam structure fused 2 ring system. proposal confirmed in 1945 dorothy hodgkin using x-ray crystallography. florey formally recognised abraham s work in 1948 nominating him 1 of first 3 penicillin research fellows @ lincoln college, oxford.

later year samples of cephalosporium acremonium fungus antibacterial properties received giuseppe brotzu. abraham , guy newton purified antibiotics fungus , found one, cephalosporin c, not degraded penicilinase , hence able cure infections penicillin-resistant bacteria. during skiing holiday in 1958 abraham conceived structure of cephalosporin c, went on establish newton, , confirmed dorothy hodgkin through x-ray crystallography. abraham showed modification of 7-amino-cephalosporanic acid nucleus able increase potency of antibiotic , registered patent on compound. resulted in first commercially sold cephalosporin antibiotic cefalotin sold eli lilly , company. there 5 generations of cephalosporins, of among few remaining antibiotics treatment of mrsa.

in 1964 became professor of chemical pathology, , remained fellow of lincoln until retirement in 1980.