The Academy has paid tribute to one of its most distinguished Corresponding Members, British biochemist Professor Fred Sanger, who twice won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
Professor Sanger, who passed away in November, won his first Nobel Prize in 1958 for work which provided the first conclusive evidence that proteins had a defined sequence. Sanger was one of the founding leaders of Cambridge’s legendary MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, where he developed methodology that laid the foundation for the Human Genome Project, and which in 1980 earned him a second Nobel Prize.
"Professor Sanger had a great affection for Australia and many Australians trained with him, including Nobel Laureate Professor Elizabeth Blackburn, myself and my husband Jerry Adams," said Academy President, Professor Suzanne Cory.
"The impact of Sanger's discoveries for all the life sciences has been incalculable."
Sanger himself said: 'Of the three main activities involved in scientific research, thinking, talking and doing, I much prefer the last and am probably best at it. I am all right at the thinking, but not much good at the talking."
For a full obituary, see p15 of the Academy's December Newsletter.
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