History of biochemistry
The history of biochemistry can be said to have started with the ancient Greeks who were interested in the composition and processes of life, although biochemistry as a specific scientific discipline has its beginning around the early 19th century. Some argued that the beginning of biochemistry may have been the discovery of the first enzyme, diastase (today called amylase), in 1833 by Anselme Payen, while others considered Eduard Buchner's first demonstration of a complex biochemical process alcoholic fermentation in cell-free extracts to be the birth of biochemistry. Some might also point to the influential work of Justus von Liebig from 1842, "Animal chemistry, or, Organic chemistry in its applications to physiology and pathology", which presented a chemical theory of metabolism, or even earlier to the 18th century studies on fermentation and respiration by Antoine Lavoisier.
Balliol-Trinity Laboratories
Chemistry was first recognized as a separate discipline at Oxford University in the 19th century. From 1855, a chemistry laboratory existed in a basement at Balliol College. In 1879, Balliol and Trinity agreed to have a laboratory at the boundary of the two colleges. The laboratory became the strongest of the Oxford college research institutions in chemistry. It remained in operation until the Second World War when a new Physical Chemistry Laboratory (PCL) was constructed by Oxford University in the Science Area.