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In 1936--after being rejected for a position with the Institute of Paper Chemistry because he was black--Percy Lavon Julian became director of the Soya Products Division at the Glidden Company in Chicago. He would soon be the first to synthesize physostigmine, a natural product of some plant sterols, which would become a therapeutic drug to treat myasthenia gravis, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, and drug overdoses. He also laid a foundation for the synthesis of human hormones--such as progesterone, testosterone, cortisone, and other steroids--from plant sterols. The wide availability of such compounds and their use in pharmaceuticals would revolutionize medicine.

To appreciate Julian's invention, it is essential to understand the challenge faced by a chemist making a synthetic compound. To synthesize a particular molecule, scientists must understand the exact location of each of the atoms in its structure. Physostigmine, for example, is made up of fifteen carbon atoms, along with three nitrogen and two oxygen atoms. Such an array of atoms can have an astronomical number of possible structures. Of the possible arrangements, only one is the desired molecule. Like all scientists, Julian built on the work of earlier researchers. He knew the structure of physostigmine from the work of earlier chemists. Its synthesis, or preparation from simpler molecules, depends on selecting the proper starting material and adding features using reactions known to produce predictable results. A central problem for the chemist wishing to study a naturally occurring molecule is obtaining a large enough supply from which to synthesize the desired molecule. For example, Julian had isolated a minuscule amount of a valuable sterol called stigmasterol, and he had high hopes of converting it to desirable derivatives. The problem was that soybean oil, the most common source of stigmasterol, contains only about 0.2 percent total sterols, and only 18 percent of that is the desired compound. Julian calculated that it would take more than half a ton of soybean oil to produce two pounds of stigmasterol. However, one day when water leaked into a batch of soybean oil, the by-product, a white solid, gave Julian an idea: By spinning the white solid in an industrial-size centrifuge, he laid the foundation for a process that would produce sterols at a greatly reduced price.

Julian's enormous powers of recall, coupled with his uncanny ability to see connections, turned a large loss into a valuable commodity. A series of patents for expansion and improvement of the process followed. Julian went on to invent inexpensive ways of synthesizing male and female hormones (a precursor to birth control pills), cortisone (leading to drugs for arthritis pain), and other steroids. Overcoming racism (his home was set on fire on Thanksgiving Day in 1950), he established his own company, The Julian Laboratories, for the production of synthetic cortisone and other steroids, eventually becoming a millionaire with more than one hundred patents. Even more important, Julian's work made pharmaceutical products available at prices that ordinary people could afford.

Julian represents the perfect blend of a serious scientist who explores the details of nature and the practical man of action, who applies those details for the direct benefit of his fellow human beings. His efficient synthesis of cortisone made this important arthritis drug available for the first time to millions of people. The other steroids he prepared in cost-effective processes also had medicinal benefits.

Under Julian's direction, the Glidden Company produced a variety of useful products. Julian created a food supplement that was stabilized against rancidity, edible emulsifiers used in liquid shortening, and animal feeds. His leadership led to the creation of the first plant to isolate and produce pure vegetable protein on a large scale. Just before World War II, Julian devised a soy-derived product called Aero-Foam, used to extinguish oil fires.

As significant as his scientific and industrial accomplishments are, Julian should also be remembered for his extraordinary talent for finding and supporting the very best collaborators. While he was known for his intense work ethic, he would never have been able to accomplish so much without the dedicated support of his fellow scientists.

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