Norman Heatley

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Photo: Norman Heatley(1911-2004)

Photo: Flow diagram of penicillin extraction process at Oxford, 1942.

----- quoted from the book "Howard Florey; the making of a great scientist.

Oxford University Press.1980

Norman Heatley was a young member of Oxford penicillin team.

He devised the penicillin assay method and developed the extraction

method such as " back flow" method, and supervised the production

of penicillin.

The penicillin are very unstable molecules. At that time, they obtained

1.0g(45,000 oxford units) of penicillin from 100 litters of penicilium's

culture media. Around 2/3 were lost during extraction and purification.

He was awarded the unusual distinction of an honorary Doctorate of

Medicine from Oxford University, the first given to a non-medic in

Oxford's 800 year history.

Questions ? write to Keiji Hagiwara, M.D.

keijihagiwara@gmail.com