Abraham, Edward Penley (1913)

British biochemist who isolated the antibiotic cephalosporin, capable of destroying penicillin-resistant bacteria. Sir Edward Abraham, as part of a larger team turned penicillin into a clinical reality at the Dunn School in the 1940s (see Historical Notes). Sir Edward first proposed the beta-lactam ring as the structural heart of this class of antibiotic and went on to bring the cephalosporin class of antibiotics into medical practice. Through the registration of patents on cephalosporins, he was able to generate a regular income, which he has devoted almost entirely to the establishment of a charitable trust for the support of biomedical research. This fund has facilitated many important developments in biomedical research over the years and is providing the majority of the funding for the building project described.