I was born on 7 September 1917 at Sydney in Australia. My father was English-born and a graduate of Oxford; my mother, born Hilda Eipper, was descended from a German minister of religion who settled in New South Wales in… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
By combining chemical, biochemical and physical techniques, it has thus become possible to investigate the nature of enzymic catalysis in a novel manner, complementary… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
Throughout my scientific career, my wife has been my most constant collaborator. Her experimental skill made major contributions to the work; she has eased… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
After a year of post-graduate research, I won an 1851 Exhibition scholarship to work at Oxford with Robert Robinson. Two such scholarships were awarded… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
In 1962, Popjak and I left the service of the Medical Research Council and became co-directors of the Milstead Laboratory of Chemical Enzymology set… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
I started doing experiments - mostly in organic chemistry, because it was so much more interesting - in my mother's laundry at home. — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
In a world where it is so easy to neglect, deny, corrupt and suppress the truth, the scientist may find his discipline severe. For… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
In 1967, I had formed a collaboration with Hermann Eggerer, then of Muenchen, and together, we solved the problem of the 'asymmetric methyl group'… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
The essential principles of the three-dimensional structure of organic molecules had been correctly formulated by the first Nobel laureate in Chemistry, Jacobus van't Hoff,… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
At the National Institute for Medical Research, I came into contact with biological scientists and formed collaborative projects with several of them. In particular,… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
My old friend Vlado Prelog has asked me to offer, from both of us, our thanks to the Royal Academy of Sciences and to… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
Life does depend on accurate replication of molecules, and its complexity often requires that an enzyme shall accept one molecular species or type and… — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
Part of my childhood was spent in Sydney and part in rural New South Wales, at Armidale. — John Cornforth Copy Share Image
