Robinson, Sir Robert, 1886–1975, British chemist, D.Sc. Univ. of Manchester, 1910. Robinson taught at the universities of Sydney (1912–15), Liverpool (1915–20), St. Andrews (1921–22), Manchester (1922–28), London (1928–30), and Oxford (1930–55). He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1947 for his investigations on plant products of biological importance, especially the alkaloids, a group of nitrogenous substances that includes quinine, cocaine, atropine, morphine, and strychnine. Robinson made significant contributions toward determining the molecular structure of alkaloids, which are known for having striking physiological effects.
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