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Ernst Chain

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Scientist

The Resume

Why he might be annoying:

    During his first job in England, at the pathology department of the University College Medical School in London, he quickly alienated his colleagues by constantly complaining about the poor quality of the lab equipment compared to that in Germany.
    He reportedly did a 'happy dance' upon seeing that four mice that had been injected with a lethal dose of streptococcus bacteria followed by an injection of penicillin were still alive the next morning, while four mice that had been injected with the bacteria but no penicillin had died during the night.
    He resented Florey's refusal to take out a patent on penicillin.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was a talented enough pianist to perform public concerts and had considered a career in music.
    After the Nazis came to power, he left for England with £10 in his pockets.
    After World War II, he learned that his mother and sister had died in concentration camps.
    He brought to Florey's attention the paper in which Fleming noted the antibacterial properties of penicillin.
    His determination of the structure of penicillin made it possible to synthesize similar drugs, like ampicillin, that were more effective and had fewer side effects.

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 14 Votes: 0% Annoying