Framed photograph of molecular models of clavulanic acid and amoxycillin

Framed photograph of molecular models of clavulanic acid and amoxycillin made by Martin Cole in February 1982, framed as gift from Martin Cole’s daughter, for his 50th birthday

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.

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 pencillins.