Alexander Robertus Todd was a distinguished British biochemist born in Glasgow on October 2, 1907. He earned his PhD from the University of Frankfurt in 1931 and completed a second doctorate at Oxford University in 1933 under Nobel laureate Sir Robert Robinson. Todd held significant academic positions including Chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Manchester from 1938 to 1944 where he began his pioneering research on nucleotides. In 1944 he was appointed to the prestigious 1702 Chair of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge a position he held until his retirement in 1971 during which time he revitalized the Department of Chemistry and established it as a world-leading center for biochemical research.
Lord Todd's groundbreaking research focused on elucidating the structure and synthesizing nucleotides nucleosides and nucleotide coenzymes which form the fundamental building blocks of DNA and RNA. In 1949 he achieved the remarkable feat of synthesizing adenosine triphosphate ATP the primary energy carrier in living organisms and flavin adenine dinucleotide FAD which are essential for cellular energy metabolism. His meticulous work on the chemical structure of nucleotides provided the critical foundation upon which Watson and Crick built their revolutionary double helix model of DNA. Beyond nucleotide chemistry Todd made significant contributions to vitamin research elucidating the structure of vitamin B12 in 1955 and working extensively on vitamins B1 and E as well as analyzing the chemical constituents of cannabis.
Lord Todd's scientific eminence was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1957 specifically honoring his work on nucleotides and nucleotide co-enzymes. He served in numerous prestigious leadership roles including Chairman of the British Government's Advisory Committee on Scientific Policy from 1952 to 1964 and President of the Royal Society from 1975. Knighted in 1954 and created a life peer as Baron Todd of Trumpington in 1962 he was further honored with membership in the Royal Order of Merit in 1977. His legacy endures through his foundational contributions to molecular biology and biochemistry which continue to influence modern genetic research and our understanding of cellular processes cementing his status as one of the most influential biochemists of the 20th century.
