Max Viscontini studied at the Lycée d'Oran (1924-31), then at Alger (1931-33), then at Institut National Agronomique, Paris (1933-37). After four years at the Sorbonne (1937-39 and 1942-44) he received his Ph.D. from the University of Paris. Postdoctoral fellow by Prof. P. Karrer at the University of Zurich (1945-46). Assistent, then Chef de Laboratoire at the Institut Pasteur de Paris (1942-47). Joined the University of Zurich as Associated Professor in 1947, Full Professor in 1959, he retired in 1983. Visiting Professor at the Lovanium University of Kinshasa, Zaïre (1968) and at the Université Laval, Québec, Canada (1969-70). Member and Honorary member of numerous Scientific Societies and titular of numerous awards. Author and coauthor of 250 scientific publications, mainly in H.C.A.
M. Viscontini's research interests were in the field of natural substances, especially of coenzymes and cofactors: Synthese of thiaminepyrophosphate (cocarboxylase), riboflavinphosphate (FMN), codecarboxylase (pyridoxalphosphate), pyridoxaminphosphate, pantethin (all with P. Karrer). Viscontini's work about pterins began in 1946 at Institut Pasteur, went on to the obtention of pteroylsulfo-L-glutamic acid at Zurich, the isolation of L-biopterin, sepiapterin, isosepiapterin, and three drosopterins from Drosophila melanogaster. A series of structure elucidations, and synthesis followed this first results, especially the synthesis of l-biopterin and tetrahydro-L-biopterin. An important contribution of Viscontini to the sterochemistry of sterols was the determination of the absolute configuration of the b-cetoadipin acid, obtained by Bergström and Reichstein after oxidation of calciferol. He could demonstrate that the acid belang to the L-series and therefore that the configuration arbitrary ascribed to the 3-OH group of the sterols corresponded to its true configuration. He demonstrated also chemically the absolute configuration of the sterols (1955).
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