Committee for Penicillin Synthesis Collection

The Collections comprises the Committee of Penicillin Synthesis reports which are concerned with the production of synthetic penicillin. These include the major US and UK pharmaceutical companies, research agencies and universities involved with penicillin research. The CPS reports were collected by the MRC and later made available as a single group of reports: these were distributed to various institutions, and a collection was donated to the University of Manchester (the distribution of the CPS reports is reported in Nature 159, 565–566 (April 1947)). Most of the reports were originally marked "secret" . The University of Manchester folder comprises Pen. reports, received by the University, not produced by them.

In the late 1920s the physician Alexander Fleming discovered that certain types of penicillium mould had anti-bacterial properties. Despite the importance of this discovery, there was little interest in developing clinical applications until the late 1930s, when Howard Florey's team at the University of Oxford were able to create a concentrated form of penicillin as an active anti-biotic. The potential value of penicillin became obvious during the Second World War with an increased need to treat infections. Both British and American authorities supported efforts to produce sufficient quantities for military needs. However, mass production of the antibiotic was not fully developed until 1944. By the end of the War, penicillin had proved its worth in treating Allied casualties and in the immediate post-war period, there were intense efforts by UK and US pharmaceutical companies to develop penicillin and other antibiotic products for everyday civilian use.

During the Second World War, a great deal of research was undertaken on penicillin by universities and pharmaceutical companies. Some of the UK companies were involved with the Therapeutic Research Corporation, set up in 1942 to pool research knowledge. The TRC appointed a Penicillin Sub-committee of their Research Panel, which issued Pen. reports detailing various aspects of research. In 1942, the Ministry of Supply created a General Penicillin Committee, and the TRC's Penicillin Sub-committee thereafter reported to this body. Its work focussed on chemical and pharmacological aspects of penicillin, with an aim of improving production methods (the Sub-committee was then renamed the Penicillin Producers' Conference). Parallel work was undertaken by an unofficial Conference of Chemists, and its reports were made available to the General Penicillin Committee.

In 1943, the Medical Research Council established a Committee for Penicillin Synthesis to investigate synthetic production of penicillin. The MRC also made arrangements with the Committee for Medical Research of the Office of Scientific Research in the USA to share information on penicillin synthesis in the so-called CPS reports; these reports provided information on the most up-to-date research and although this exchange of information was considered highly important, wartime conditions meant that distribution had to be restricted, rather than be published in the scientific press as would have been the case in peacetime. The CPS reports were compiled primarily by participating universities and pharmaceutical companies. Summaries of the CPS reports were later published in a Penicillin Monograph.

Arranged by organization. There is an index and introductory note about the CPS reports. 

• /1 Introductory note
• /2 Index
• /3 Miscellaneous
• /4 Abbott Laboratories
• /5 Boots Pure Drug Ltd.
• /6 British Drug Houses Ltd.
• /7 University of Cambridge
• /8 Cornell University Medical College
• /9 Cutter Laboratories
• /10 US Department of Agriculture, Northern Regional Research Lab.
• /11 Glaxo Laboratories
• /12 Heyden Chemical Co.
• /13 University of Illinois
• /14 ICI
• /15 Imperial College
• /16 Lilly Research Labs
• /17 University of Manchester [these are Pen. reports]
• /18 May and Baker Ltd.
• /19 Merck 1 (structure)
• /20 Merck 2 (synthesis)
• /21 Merck 3 (measurement)
• /22 University of Michigan (Bachmann)
• /23 University of Michigan (Randall)
• /24 University of Oxford
• /25 Chas. Pfizer and Co. Inc.
• /26 Shell Development Co.
• /27 Squibb 1
• /28 Squibb 2
• /29 Upjohn Co.
• /30 Wellcome Labs.
• /31 Winthrop Chemical Co.

Reports have the original CPS reference number, and in the case of American organisations, an additional US reference.

The collection is open to any accredited reader.

Copies of the Pen. and CPS Reports may exist at other locations.

Photocopies and photographic copies of material in the archive can be supplied for private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.

A number of items within the archive remain within copyright under the terms of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; it is the responsibility of users to obtain the copyright holder's permission for reproduction of copyright material for purposes other than research or private study.

Prior written permission must be obtained from the Library for publication or reproduction of any material within the archive. Please contact the Head of Special Collections, John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH.

The papers of Dorothy Hodgkin [ref. NCUACS 47.3.94/ and i the papers of Sir Edward Abraham ABRAHAM/C/1/D/1, both held by the Bodleian Library, include copies of CPS reports.