# Ernst Chain

_Jewish-German-born British biochemist (1906–1979)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ernst-chain
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Sir Ernst Boris Chain 
was a German-born British biochemist. He shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Alexander Fleming and Howard Florey "for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases".

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 19 June 1906 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Berlin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P19))
- **Died:** 12 August 1979 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P570))
- **Place of death:** Castlebar ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United Kingdom; Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P27))
- **Occupation:** biochemist; university teacher; chemist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P106))
- **Education:** Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Imperial College School of Medicine ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P69))
- **Spouse:** Anne Beloff-Chain ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P26))
- **Awards:** Fellow of the Royal Society; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize; Knight Bachelor; Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic; honorary doctorate of the University of Santiago de Compostela; Commander of the Legion of Honour; doctor honoris causa from the University of Paris; honorary doctor of the University of Bordeaux ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054#P166))

## Questions

**When was Ernst Chain born?**  
Ernst Chain was born on 19 June 1906 in Berlin.

**Where did Ernst Chain study?**  
Ernst Chain was educated at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Imperial College School of Medicine.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ernst Chain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Chain) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q58054](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q58054) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Ernst Boris Chain 1945.jpg by Nobel Foundation (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ernst_Boris_Chain_1945.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ernst Chain, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Ernst Boris Chain 1945.jpg — Nobel Foundation, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Ernst Chain". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ernst-chain. Retrieved 5 November 2026.