Guy Geoffrey Frederick Newton (1919–1969) was a British rower and biochemist. He was the co-discoverer of cephalosporin C. Newton was born in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, the son of Bernard Newton a gentleman farmer of Fairfield Bury, St Ives and his wife Antoinette Gerard. He was educated at Oundle School and

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

. He rowed at Cambridge and in 1949 was runner up in the Double Sculls Challenge Cup at

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a Rowing (sport), rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It diffe ...

, partnering Humphrey Warren. Newton was described as "an outstanding young organic chemist with a passion for

Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC () is a British manufacturer of Luxury car, luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Headed from 1947 by David Brown (entrepreneur ...

cars".Wolfgang K. Joklik ''The Story of Penicillin: The View from Oxford in the Early 1950s"
/ref> During the 1950s at the

Sir William Dunn School of Pathology The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology is a department within the University of Oxford. Its research programme includes the cellular and molecular biology of pathogens, the immune response, cancer and cardiovascular disease. It teaches undergr ...

, Newton and

Edward Abraham Sir Edward Penley Abraham, (10 June 1913 – 8 May 1999) was an English biochemist instrumental in the development of the first antibiotics penicillin and cephalosporin. Early life and education Abraham was born on 10 June 1913 at 47 South V ...

discovered, purified and established the structure of cephalosporin C, the first of the cephalosporin family of antibiotics. This compound and the ring structure on which it was based were patented, and both Newton and Abraham set up trusts out of the royalties that they received. The Guy Newton Research Fund and the other trusts are dedicated to the support of medical, biological and chemical research in the Dunn School, Lincoln College and the University of Oxford .

References

* * * 1919 births 1969 deaths British organic chemists People educated at Oundle School Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge British biochemists {{UK-biochemist-stub