Frederick Sanger's important work in biochemistry has been recognized by two Nobel Prizes for chemistry. In 1958 he received the award for determining the arrangement of the amino acids that make up insulin, becoming the first person to thusly identify a protein molecule. In 1980 Sanger shared the award with two other scientists, being cited for his work in determining the sequences of nucleic acids in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules. This research has had important implications for genetic research, and taken in conjunction with Sanger's earlier work on the structure of insulin, represent considerable contributions to combatting a number of diseases.

Frederick Sanger was born in Rendcombe, Gloucestershire, England, on August 3, 1918. His father, also named Frederick, was a medical doctor, and his mother, Cicely Crewsdon Sanger, was the daughter of a prosperous cotton manufacturer. Young Frederick attended the Bryanston School in Blandford, Dorset, from 1932 to 1936 and was then accepted at...