Molecular model of 6-aminopenicillinaic acid (6-APA)

Molecular model of 6-aminopenicillinaic acid (6-APA), based on Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin’s crystal structure data, built by Martin Cole, for a 60th anniversary celebration of the discovery of 6-APA at Lincoln College, Univeristy of Oxford, 27 September 2017

In 1957, the team at Beecham Research Laboratories discovered that penicillin grown from mould has 6-aminopenicillanic acid. By tweaking its chemical structure, scientists created medicines to treat a wider range of bacterial infections, with fewer side effects. These are known as semi-synthetic penicillins.

Martin Cole was a microbiologist, whose career at Beecham Research Laboratories focused on the hope of developing and using semi-synthetic penicillins, including cloxacillin and amoxicillin. He led the team which first discovered and named olivanic acids and clavulanic acid and then combined the latter with amoxicillin, to produce co-amoxiclav, brand name Augmentin.