Dr Frank Ralph Batchelor (1931 – 24 May 2021), known as Ralph, was a British

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of "biological che ...

and businessman. He obtained a research post at Beecham Research Laboratories, in

Betchworth Betchworth is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. The village centre is on the north bank of the River Mole and south of the A25 road, almost east of Dorking and west of Reigate. London is north of ...

in 1956. During his first year with the company, he was sent to work at the in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, under Professor Sir

Ernst Chain Sir Ernst Boris Chain (19 June 1906 – 12 August 1979) was a German-born British biochemist best known for being a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on penicillin. Life and career Chain was born in Be ...

. Along with Peter Doyle, George Rolinson and John Nayler, he was part of the team at Betchworth that discovered and synthesised new

penicillins Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally ''P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using d ...

. A Royal Society of Chemistry blue plaque now marks this discovery. In 1970 he was given a managerial position. From 1978 he was a Director of Beecham Pharmaceuticals, retiring in 1989. He received the

Addingham Medal Addingham (formerly Haddincham , Odingehem 1086)Mills, A.D. (2003). ', Encyclopedia.com is a village and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated near the A65, south-east of Skipton, west of Ilkley, ...

by the City of

Leeds Leeds () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the thi ...

in 1966 and the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, r ...

's Mullard Medal in 1971, with others, "in recognition of their contributions to the development of the semisynthetic penicillins". His notebook, including early chromatograms showing the presence of

6-APA 6-APA ((+)-6-aminopenicillanic acid) is a chemical compound used as an intermediate in the synthesis of β-lactam antibiotics. The major commercial source of 6-APA is still natural penicillin G: the semi-synthetic penicillins derived from 6-APA ...

, are in the collection of the Science Museum in London.

Notable works

References

External links

* Place of birth missing 1931 births 2021 deaths British biochemists British pharmacologists British corporate directors {{UK-chemist-stub