1917-

Australian chemist whose work in many aspects of biochemistry led to a fuller appreciation of the manner in which many hormones and other compounds affect the body. Deaf for most of his life, Cornforth studied chemistry in wartime England, first working on the chemistry of penicillin. This work was followed by research into cholesterol, particularly its chemical structure and its use in the body (cholesterol is an important part of cell membranes, for example). Cornforth won the 1975 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his research.