Adrian John Brown
Encyclopedia
Adrian John Brown, FRS was a British
Professor of Malting and Brewing at the University of Birmingham
and a pioneer in the study of enzyme kinetics
.
He was born at Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire to Edwin Brown, a bank manager in the town. His elder brother was Horace Tabberer Brown
. He attended the local grammar school and the went up to study chemistry at the Royal College of Science in London. He became private assistant to Dr Russell at St Bartholomew's Hospital
Medical School. In 1873 he returned to Burton to work as a chemist in the brewing industry for the next twenty-five years. In 1899 he left to become Professor of Brewing and Malting at Mason College, Birmingham (which became Birmingham University).
He studied the rate of fermentation
of sucrose
by yeast and suggested in 1892 that a substance in the yeast might be responsible for speeding up the reaction. This was the first time enzymes were suggested as separate entities from organisms and talked about in chemical terms. He later studied the enzyme responsible and made the striking suggestion that the kinetics he observed were the result of an enzyme-substrate complex being formed during the reaction, a concept that has formed the basis of all later work on enzyme kinetics.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Professor of Malting and Brewing at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
and a pioneer in the study of enzyme kinetics
Enzyme kinetics
Enzyme kinetics is the study of the chemical reactions that are catalysed by enzymes. In enzyme kinetics, the reaction rate is measured and the effects of varying the conditions of the reaction investigated...
.
He was born at Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire to Edwin Brown, a bank manager in the town. His elder brother was Horace Tabberer Brown
Horace Tabberer Brown
Horace Tabberer Brown was a British chemist. He was a born after the death of his biological father so his stepfather was the only father he knew. The stepfather was a banker and amateur naturalist which lead to Brown's interest in science, which began around age 12...
. He attended the local grammar school and the went up to study chemistry at the Royal College of Science in London. He became private assistant to Dr Russell at St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
Medical School. In 1873 he returned to Burton to work as a chemist in the brewing industry for the next twenty-five years. In 1899 he left to become Professor of Brewing and Malting at Mason College, Birmingham (which became Birmingham University).
He studied the rate of fermentation
Fermentation (biochemistry)
Fermentation is the process of extracting energy from the oxidation of organic compounds, such as carbohydrates, using an endogenous electron acceptor, which is usually an organic compound. In contrast, respiration is where electrons are donated to an exogenous electron acceptor, such as oxygen,...
of sucrose
Sucrose
Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. A white, odorless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste, it is best known for its role in human nutrition. The molecule is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose with the molecular formula...
by yeast and suggested in 1892 that a substance in the yeast might be responsible for speeding up the reaction. This was the first time enzymes were suggested as separate entities from organisms and talked about in chemical terms. He later studied the enzyme responsible and made the striking suggestion that the kinetics he observed were the result of an enzyme-substrate complex being formed during the reaction, a concept that has formed the basis of all later work on enzyme kinetics.