Victor Trikojus

Trikojus was born on 5 February 1902 in Darlinghurst, Sydney, to August Trikojus (1857–1911) and Charlotte (née Thompson, 1879–1955), his second wife.[6][7] His father was a hairdresser and tobacconist of Lithuanian background[8] born in Tilsit, East Prussia (now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia). His mother was of English background, born in Port Macquarie. He was the eldest of three children.[9]

Trikojus attended Sydney Technical High School from 1916 to 1920 where he studied physics, chemistry, mathematics, history, English, German, woodwork, metalwork, and mechanical drawing. He became head prefect, captain and dux of the school, and a member of its rugby and rowing teams. It was here where he received the nickname "Trik", by which he would be known to his family, friends and colleagues for the rest of his life.[2]

Trikojus earned a first class honours degree in organic chemistry from the University of Sydney in 1925.[10] In that same year, he was awarded an 1851 Exhibition science research scholarship and chose to study at the University of Oxford under William Henry Perkin Jr. where he also rowed in the Queens College Eight. Trikojus' thesis was entitled 'The Introduction of the Methylenedioxy Group and of Similar Groups into the Aromatic Nucleus'; evidence of Perkin's habit of assigning his students small pieces of larger problems. This thesis earned him his Doctorate of Philosophy in 1927. He and Perkin Jr. also published work on the synthesis of safrole.[11] Following this, he was awarded a third year of his scholarship, which he spent in Munich, working under Heinrich Wieland at the Laboratorium des Staates.

After nine months in Munich, Trikojus returned to Sydney late in 1928, due to his mother becoming ill. There he found a position of lecturer in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Sydney. From having a European father and spending time in those countries, Trikojus felt comfortable in the more-vibrant émigré communities in Sydney. There he met his future wife, Russian émigrée Lisuscha Engels (born 1905 Fryanovo, Russian Empire, died 1984, Melbourne),[12] who had accompanied her wool-buyer father from Germany. In 1932 he took up a lectureship in medical organic chemistry in the Department of Medicine. That was also the year he and Lisuscha married, living in Kings Cross. In newspaper articles, his wife's first name was often anglicised to Elizabeth.[13]

Until 1936, Trikojus' research was centred on discovering the chemical structures of organic compounds, and occasionally developing methods to synthesise organic compounds in the laboratory. He had published nine scientific papers on this kind of work. 1936 marked a major shift in his interests when the head of his department, Prof. Charles George Lambie, published work on thyroid hormone metabolism. Trikojus began his sabbatical leave that year in Germany, at the University of Freiburg, working on thyrotropic hormone (better known as thyroid-stimulating hormone) with Arnold Loeser. This would remain an interest of his until the end of his scientific career.[14] Lisuscha accompanied him, along with their first child, Nina (born 1934),[9] who died suddenly that year in Stuttgart of a respiratory infection.[15] After returning to Australia in 1937, Trikojus and Lisuscha had another daughter, Natalja.

On 1 November 1937, Trikojus wrote an article entitled ‘Some impressions of Germany and neighbouring countries’ (Australian Institute of International Affairs), in which stated, "I have been greatly impressed by the regeneration which Hitler has wrought in the nation" and "The anti-Jewish propaganda continues, but it is not serious... It is interesting to note that any Jews who are useful to the Nazis are kept in their positions". These comments arose from a cloistered scientific environment and were by no means political at the time – knowledge of the persecution that was happening in Germany wasn’t widespread in the general community. However, they assumed far greater significance after the outbreak of war and, together with Trikojus' contact with scientists and friends in Germany and command of the German language, would have disastrous consequence for his life and family. His biographers Legge and Gibson note that "a number of members of Lisuscha's family were still living in Germany, and he may simply have been careful to avoid making any remarks that might conceivably affect them."[2]

In 1940, Trikojus was chair of the Drugs Subcommittee of the Australian Association of Scientific Workers. The Australian pharmaceutical industry was insufficiently advanced to produce critical drugs in the event of closure of sea-lanes for imports from Europe and the USA. He organised the up-scaling of drug production for 11 different drugs critical for the war effort including ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sulfaguanidine. His previous experience in the development of methods to synthesise organic compounds was invaluable in his efforts. His son, future cinematographer Alexander (Sasha) Trikojus was also born that year.[16]

On 17 January 1941, Trikojus was arrested as an enemy alien under National Security Regulations and spent 13 weeks in Long Bay gaol, then used as a temporary internment camp.[17] The case against him was never made clear and Trikojus never spoke publicly about it, however his extensive connections to Germany, the years he lived there and his proficiency in the language may have led some to doubt his loyalties; there were also suggestions that internal rivalries at Sydney University had played a part.[2]

After a review of his case, and pressure from his colleagues, he was released in April. He immediately resumed his duties lecturing at the university and coordinating methods of producing critical war drugs so they could be handed off to industry. This included organising the manufacture of 45 kg of sulfaguanidine in a laboratory in his university's medical school, for the New Guinea campaign in 1942.[18] His ceded patent rights for his sulfaguanidine manufacturing process to Monsanto so full-scale production could be expedited. His process for ascorbic acid synthesis was likewise handed over to Colonial Sugar Refineries (now CSR limited).[2]

By 1943, the drug import routes were judged safe enough for work on domestic production to end, and the Trikojus family moved to Melbourne where he was appointed head of the Biochemistry Department at the University of Melbourne. He inherited an under-staffed and under-resourced department and expended much energy in administrative work to bring the department up to the standard of the other major universities.[2] His work was further increased when student numbers swelled after the war, supported by the Commonwealth Reconstruction and Training Scheme. A new biochemistry building was needed, with Trikojus overseeing the construction and assisting in its design. The building was opened in stages between 1958 and 1961.[2] This building, the first in Australia to be devoted to the study and teaching of biochemistry, housed researchers until 2005, when they were moved to the new Bio21 institute. It was demolished in 2008, and in its place the Australian Centre for Neuroscience and Mental Health Research was constructed.[19]

During his tenure, the University of Melbourne was transformed from an undergraduate teaching university to an internationally oriented research university that encouraged collaboration between universities. In 1948 Trikojus and his colleague F. J. R. Hird isolated and identified triiodothyronine (T₃),[20] however this discovery is generally attributed to Rosalind Pitt-Rivers,[21] who read their paper but omitted mention of it.[10] Trikojus continued building up the Russell Grimwade School of Biochemistry, in which he integrated organic chemistry and biochemistry, as well as links to other disciplines. He was a foundation member (1955), chairman (1956), and honorary life member (1964) of the Australian Biochemical Society and a fellow (1954), and vice-president (1964-66) of the Australian Academy of Science. He was also Melbourne's first professorial dean of graduate studies (1963–65) and a foundation member (1965–66) of the Australian Research Grants Committee. He also supervised graduate students, including the masters research of Catherine Anne Money,[22] and was inspirational to countless other medical students and science graduates.

Trikojus was well-liked by his colleagues and students, who found in him a courteous and compassionate authority figure with a legendary capacity for research, teaching, and administrative work. On retirement in 1968, he was made an honorary research professor, and as appointed CBE in 1971. He remained active in the International Union of Biochemists and as a visiting scientist in the early 1970s.[16] He continued contributing to scientific journals until 1974.[14] Suffering Parkinson's disease in his later years, Victor Trikojus died on 27 January 1985 in the Melbourne suburb of Kew and was cremated. 73 boxes of his papers, which had been stored in Trikojus' garden sheds, were donated by his family to The University of Melbourne Archives, where they are held.[23]