Basil Weedon facts for kids

Professor Basil Charles Leicester Weedon (1923 – 2003) was a brilliant chemist and a leader at universities. He was honored with the CBE and was a member of the Royal Society. He used a special scientific tool called nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to discover the exact shapes of colorful chemicals called carotenoids. These important discoveries included chemicals like astaxanthin, rubixanthin, and canthaxanthin.

Early Life and Family

Basil Weedon was born in Wimbledon, England, in 1923. His father was a dentist, and his mother came from a family of successful jewellers. When Basil was nine years old, his parents separated. He continued to live with his father.

During World War II, Basil was sent to live on a farm near Guildford for safety. He met his future wife, Barbara Dawe, through his cousin. Barbara served in the Women's Royal Navy Service during the war. Basil and Barbara married in 1959. They had two children, a daughter named Sarah and a son named Matthew. In his later years, Basil Weedon developed Parkinson's disease.

His Journey in Science

Basil Weedon first went to Wandsworth Grammar School in South London. Later, he attended a school in Guildford. In 1940, he began studying chemistry at Imperial College, London. He earned his degree very quickly, at just 19 years old.

He continued his studies at Imperial College and earned his PhD. After that, he worked for a big company called ICI. There, he focused on making dyes. In 1947, he returned to Imperial College as a lecturer, teaching organic chemistry. He became a more senior teacher (a reader) in 1955.

In 1960, Basil Weedon became a professor of organic chemistry at Queen Mary College. Later, in 1976, he took on a very important role. He became the head, or Vice-Chancellor, of the University of Nottingham. He held this position until he retired in 1988. He also worked as an advisor for a Swiss company called Hoffmann-La Roche for many years.

Amazing Scientific Discoveries

Professor Weedon made groundbreaking discoveries about carotenoids. These are natural pigments that give many plants and animals their bright colors. Working with L. M. Jackman, he was the first to use nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study their structures. This special technique helped them understand the exact shape of these molecules.

He also worked on creating carotenoids in the lab. In 1953, he described how to make methylbixin. Later, he successfully made bixin using a method called the Wittig reaction.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Professor Weedon's team discovered the structures of many natural carotenoids. They also learned how to make them. Some of these important discoveries include:

• Canthaxanthin: This chemical gives flamingos their pink color.
• Astaxanthin: This is responsible for the color of lobsters.
• Capsanthin and capsorubin: These are found in red peppers.
• Renieratene: This comes from Japanese sea sponges.
• Fucoxanthin: This is a very common carotenoid found in seaweed.

His research group also discovered the structures of other compounds. These include alloxanthin, mytiloxanthin, decaprenoxanthin, and violerythrin.

Awards and Recognition

Professor Basil Weedon received several important awards for his work:

• 1952: He was awarded the Meldola Medal from the Royal Institute of Chemistry.
• 1971: He was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
• 1974: He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.