Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd

Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd

Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron Todd, PC, OM, FRS (2 October 1907 – 10 January 1997) was a Scottish biochemist whose research on the structure and synthesis of nucleotides, nucleosides, and nucleotide coenzymes gained him the 1957 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

Todd was born near Glasgow, attended Allan Glen's School and graduated from the University of Glasgow with a B.Sc. in 1928. He received a Ph.D (Dr.rer.nat.) from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main in 1931 for his thesis on the chemistry of the bile acids. After studying at Oriel College, Oxford he gained another doctorate in (1933) and held posts with the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, London, and the University of London.

Todd became the Sir Samuel Hall Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Chemical Laboratories of the University of Manchester in 1938, where he began working on nucleosides, compounds that form the structural units of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). In 1949 he synthesized adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD).

In 1955 he elucidated the structure of vitamin B12, later working on the structure and synthesis of vitamin B1 and vitamin E, the anthocyanins (the pigments of flowers and fruits) from insects (aphids, beetles) and studied alkaloidss found in hashish and marijuana. He served as chairman of the British government's advisory committee on scientific policy from 1952 to 1964.

He was professor of organic chemistry and Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge (1944-1978, was Master of Christ's College (1963-1978) and became Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde in 1975, a member of the Royal Order of Merit in 1977 and a visiting professor at Hatfield Polytechnic (1978-1986).

He was knighted as Sir Alexander Todd in 1954 and elevated to the peerage as Baron Todd of Trumpington in the County of Cambridgeshire in 1962.

Lord Todd was married to Alison Sarah, daughter of Nobel Prize winner Sir Henry Dale, and had a son, Alexander Henry, and two daughters, Helen Jean and Hilary Alison.

External links

* Todd's [http://www.nobel.se/chemistry/laureates/1957/todd-bio.html Nobel Foundation biography]
* Todd's Nobel Lecture [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1957/todd-lecture.html Synthesis in the Study of Nucleotides]


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  • Alexander R. Todd — Alexander Robert Todd Sir Alexander Robert Todd, baron of Trumpington (né le 2 octobre 1907 à Glasgow et mort le 10 janvier 1997 à Cambridge), était un chimiste britannique. Il obtint en 1957 le prix Nobel de chimie pour ses… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Alexander Robert Todd — Alexander Robertus Todd, Barón de Todd, PC, OM, FRS (Glasgow, Escocia, 2 de octubre de 1907 Cambridge, Inglaterra, 10 de enero de 1997), fue un químico y profesor universitario escocés galardonado con el Premio Nobel de Química del año 1957.… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Alexander Robert Todd — Sir Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron of Trumpington (* 2. Oktober 1907 in Glasgow; † 10. Januar 1997 in Cambridge) war ein britischer Chemiker. Er erhielt 1957 den Nobelpreis für Chemie für grundlegende Arbeiten über die Gruppe der Nukleotide und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Alexander Robertus Todd — Sir Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron of Trumpington (* 2. Oktober 1907 in Glasgow; † 10. Januar 1997 in Cambridge) war ein britischer Chemiker. Er erhielt 1957 den Nobelpreis für Chemie für grundlegende Arbeiten über die Gruppe der Nukleotide und… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Alexander Robert Todd — Sir Alexander Robert Todd, baron of Trumpington (2 octobre 1907 à Glasgow, Angleterre 10 janvier 1997 à Cambridge, Angleterre) était un chimiste britannique. Il obtint en 1957 le prix Nobel de chimie « pour ses travaux… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Todd of Trumpington, Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron — ▪ 1998       Scottish organic chemist (b. Oct. 2, 1907, Glasgow, Scot. d. Jan. 10, 1997, Cambridge, Eng.), studied the chemistry of a variety of chemicals involved in life processes and was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his… …   Universalium

  • Todd, Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron — ▪ British biochemist born Oct. 2, 1907, Glasgow, Scot. died Jan. 10, 1997, Cambridge, Eng.       British biochemist whose research on the structure and synthesis of nucleotides, nucleosides, and nucleotide coenzymes gained him the 1957 Nobel… …   Universalium

  • Chemienobelpreis 1957: Alexander Robertus Todd —   Der britische Chemiker Alexander Robertus Todd erhielt den Nobelpreis für »seine Arbeiten auf dem Gebiet der Nucleotidcoenzyme und der Nucleotide«.    Biografie   Sir (seit 1954) Alexander Robertus Todd, Baron of Trumpington (seit 1962), *… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Alexander Todd — Alexander Robert Todd Sir Alexander Robert Todd, baron of Trumpington (né le 2 octobre 1907 à Glasgow et mort le 10 janvier 1997 à Cambridge), était un chimiste britannique. Il obtint en 1957 le prix Nobel de chimie pour ses… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Todd (surname) — Todd is a surname meaning Fox in Gaelic, and may refer to*Albert E. Todd, Canadian mayor *Albert M. Todd, US Representative from the state of Michigan *Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, Nobel laureate in chemistry *Andy Todd, English football player …   Wikipedia

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