Alan Battersby

Alan Battersby pioneered the use of isotopic labeling, particularly with carbon-13 and NMR spectroscopy, to trace the biosynthetic pathways of complex alkaloids. His research elucidated how plants construct molecules such as morphine, codeine, and the precursors to vitamin B12 from simple starting materials.

Battersby's research group at Cambridge made major contributions to understanding how vitamin B12 is biosynthesized, tracing how the corrin ring system of B12 is assembled enzymatically. He showed that the pathway shares precursors, specifically aminolevulinic acid, with the biosynthesis of porphyrins and chlorophyll.

Alan Battersby served as the Sir Samuel Hall Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. His research group at Cambridge became one of the world's leading centers for studying biosynthetic pathways using isotopic labeling techniques.

Battersby was a pioneer in using carbon-13 isotopic labeling combined with NMR spectroscopy to trace how carbon atoms from simple precursors like acetate are incorporated into complex natural products. This approach allowed his team to map complete biosynthetic pathways that had previously been impossible to follow experimentally.