The comprehensive collection of about 900 sugar samples produced by Professors Thomas Purdie and James Irvine during the early years of the 20th century, are of international importance. Their research using these samples made major contributions to understanding the complex three-dimensional shape of sugar molecules. This enabled Irvine to develop a pure medicinal sugar called inulin which saved thousands of troops during the First World War by treating fever and meningitis. His discovery of atomic ring structures of carbohydrates helped others to uncover the structure of DNA.
Click on the blog link to read more about the pioneering carbohydrate chemist, James Irvine.
Credit: Courtesy of the University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums
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