Emil Fischer was a professor of chemistry for forty years who also served as director of the German chemical industries during World War I. Fischer's research on important organic substances such as sugars, enzymes, and proteins, built the foundation for modern biochemistry. He was the scientist who initially described the action of enzymes as a lock and key mechanism where the structure of an enzyme fits exactly into the molecule with which it reacts to "unlock" a biochemical reaction. In 1902, Fischer received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his laboratory synthesis of sugars and purine, a substance found naturally in all deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Fischer was dedicated to academic research and was among the first scientists in the world to promote substantial industrial as well as governmental support for university laboratories.

Fischer was born in Euskirchen, Germany, near Bonn and Cologne. With five older sisters, he was the...