Robert Ramage. 4 October 1935—16 October 2019

Abstract

Robert (Bob) Ramage was an innovative and versatile organic chemist who made pioneering contributions to the fields of target-oriented synthesis and synthetic methodology. His research programme was initially focused on the (bio)synthesis of natural products, but later expanded to include peptides and proteins, where he became a key figure in the development of that field in the UK and beyond. As a PhD student in Glasgow, he developed a synthesis of the sesquiterpene cuparene, an achievement that earned him a Fulbright scholarship to Harvard, where he worked under the guidance of R. B. Woodward ForMemRS. With Woodward he participated in the now classic synthesis of the beta-lactam antibiotic cephalosporin C. His independent career began in Liverpool, where he continued his interests in sesquiterpene synthesis, devising several notable syntheses. This period also saw him forge important collaborations with Alan Battersby (FRS 1966) and George Kenner FRS, with whom he worked on the biosynthesis of the alkaloid colchicine and the chemical synthesis of several polypeptides, respectively. In Manchester, and later in Edinburgh, he continued his work in peptide synthesis methodology, a multi-pronged effort that culminated in the successful chemical synthesis of crystalline ubiquitin, widely considered a landmark achievement in the field. His scientific impact reached beyond academia through various consultancies with the pharmaceutical industry and the founding of a successful biotech company. He also assumed various academic leadership roles throughout his career. Bob will be remembered for his exacting standards and resolve to tackle big problems, attributes that he instilled in the many young scientists he mentored. He is dearly missed by all who knew him, by his colleagues around the world and most of all by his family.