Pioneer chemist Albert Hofmann dies at age 102
Hofmann was born in Baden, Switzerland, January 11 1906, and studied chemistry at the University of Zürich. His main interest was the chemistry of plants and animals, and he later conducted important research regarding the chemical structure of the common animal substance chitin, for which he received his doctorate.
Hofmann joined the pharmaceutical-chemical department of Sandoz Laboratories (now Novartis), located in Basel.
He began studying the medicinal plant squill and the fungus ergot as part of a program to purify and synthesize active constituents for use as pharmaceuticals.
Whil