Edward P. Abraham, cell-free systems and the fungal biosynthesis of beta-lactams

Today much is known about the biology of penicillin and cephalosporin production by fungi including the pathways, the biosynthetic enzymes including some crystal structures, the genes and their cloning, expression, sequencing and chromosomal locations, the regulation of the genes and enzymes and even some intelligent guesses about their evolutionary relationships. The key breakthrough that led to rapid progress in these areas was the subcellular work done by EDWARD P. ABRAHAM and his Oxford colleagues in the early 1970s. With his advice and encouragement, my laboratory was able to prepare reliably active soluble cell-free preparations which were instrumental in elucidation of the biosynthetic pathways in fungi (and also in bacteria) by laboratories throughout the world.