William Roberts (physician)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Roberts FRS (1830 - 1899) was a physician in Manchester
, England
.
Roberts was born on 18 March 1830 at Bodedern
on the Isle of Anglesey the son David and Sarah Roberts, he was educated at Mill Hill School and at University College London. He graduated with a BA at London University in 1851 and became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. After completion of his medical studies he was appointed a house surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
in cultures contaminated by a mold. He specifically studied the impact of Penicillium glaucum
, a close relative of the Penicillium notatum.
See Discoveries of anti-bacterial effects of penicillium moulds before Fleming.
" in 1881, based on the Greek word "enzym", which Wilhelm Kuehne
used in 1876. The anglicized version became popular among researchers by the 1890s.
was created to investigate the drug. Sir William Roberts was the medical expert on the commission.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Roberts was born on 18 March 1830 at Bodedern
Bodedern
Bodedern is a village in the west of Anglesey, North Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL65. The population was 1,017 in 1991.The village has a fully bilingual secondary school, Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern and a football team, Bodedern Athletic F.C. who play in the Welsh Alliance League...
on the Isle of Anglesey the son David and Sarah Roberts, he was educated at Mill Hill School and at University College London. He graduated with a BA at London University in 1851 and became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. After completion of his medical studies he was appointed a house surgeon at Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Contribution to the discovery of penicillin
Between 1870 and 1874, Roberts studied the dissolution of bacteriaBacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
in cultures contaminated by a mold. He specifically studied the impact of Penicillium glaucum
Penicillium glaucum
Penicillium glaucum is a mold which is used in the making of some types of blue cheese, including Bleu de Gex, Rochebaron and some varieties of Bleu d'Auvergne and Gorgonzola...
, a close relative of the Penicillium notatum.
See Discoveries of anti-bacterial effects of penicillium moulds before Fleming.
Coining of the term "enzyme"
Roberts coined the word "enzymeEnzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
" in 1881, based on the Greek word "enzym", which Wilhelm Kuehne
Wilhelm Kühne
Wilhelm Friedrich Kühne was a German physiologist. Born in Hamburg, he is best known today for coining the word enzyme.-Biography:...
used in 1876. The anglicized version became popular among researchers by the 1890s.
Dietetics and Dyspepsia
In 1884, the publication of his "Dietetics and Dyspepsia" described "high feeding" and "low feeding": the diets of the upper and lower class. He speculated that diet was the reason for aristocratic capacity for intellectualism.Royal Commission on Opium
When political pressure was brought against the British government's involvement in the Sino-Indian opium trade, the 1893-1895 Royal Commission on OpiumRoyal Commission on Opium
The Royal Opium Commission of 1895 was a commission of the British Government set up to investigate the Anglo-Asian opium trade.-History:Throughout the 19th century opium sent to China was one of British India's most valuable exports...
was created to investigate the drug. Sir William Roberts was the medical expert on the commission.