Max Perutz

Besides decoding the structure of haemoglobin, Perutz made significant advances in crystallography and glaciology, and built up a world-beating research laboratory. He studied under Bernal and Bragg, having gone to Cambridge on Mark’s advice. Bondi and Gold were fellow-internees in Canada. Lehrmann’s collection of haemoglobins proved a treasure trove. Crick and Watson may be the best-known among his molecular-biology research team, but Nobels were also won by himself (with his colleague Kendrew), Sanger, Brenner, Klug, Walker, Kornberg, and Fire. Sanger said he couldn’t understand Perutz’s work, but in an understatement said he was a very good leader.