Background
Eschenmoser was born on August 5, 1925, in Erstfeld, Switzerland; the son of Alfons and Johanna (nee Oesch) Eschenmoser.
Eschenmoser was born on August 5, 1925, in Erstfeld, Switzerland; the son of Alfons and Johanna (nee Oesch) Eschenmoser.
Eschenmoser received his diploma of a natural scientist in 1949 and a Doctor of Science degree in 1951 from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1951.
Albert was given an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of Chicago in 1970, University of Edinburgh in 1979, University of Bologna in 1989, University of Frankfurt in 1990, University of Strasbourg in 1991, Harvard University in 1993, Scripps Research Institute in 2000 and University of Innsbruck in 2010.
Eschenmoser began his career as a private lecturer in organic chemistry at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1956. Four years later he was appointed an associate professor and a full professor for General Organic Chemistry in 1965 at the same university.
In 1992, Albert became a professor emeritus at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Switzerland. Since 1996, he has been a Professor at Scripps Research Institute. He is a contributor of numerous articles on organic synthesis in professional journals.
Eschenmoser has made contributions to theory of terpene biosynthesis, structure elucidation of natural products, stereochemistry and mechanism of organochemical and biochemical reactions, development of new methods for organic synthesis, total synthesis of complex natural products and chemical etiology of nucleic acid structure.
Albert produced a natural painkiller for gout called colchicine and the highly complex molecule, vitamin B12.
Albert is a member of American Academy of Arts and Science, United States National Academy of Sciences, Akademie der Wissenschaften, Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, London Royal Society, Vatican Pontificial Academy, Academy Europaea in London, Croatian Academy of Sciences Arts and European Academy of Sciences in Brussels.
Albert Eschenmoser married Elizabeth Baschnonga in 1954. He has 3 children.
