[1][4] In 1926, he married Mildred Collins (1899–1985) and worked as an analytical chemist at the Naval Powder Factory in Indian Head, Maryland.
Cholesterol Derivatives," with Oliver Kamm, George H. Fleming, Alexander H. Popkin, and Eugene L. Wittle in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, April 1, 1937[5] In 1938, he proposed a new molecular structure for sarsasapogenin where the side chain was chemically reactive due to the two oxygen atoms connected to the same carbon.
[1][7] Emeric Somlo, Federico Lehmann and Russell Marker came together to make a new company in Mexico named Syntex SA.
This company used Mexican plant, Cabeza de Negro (Dioscorea mexicana), to create progesterone.
Species of the genus Dioscorea contain diosgenin: a saponin similar to the structure of sarsasapogenin found in beth root.
The company later was sold to Gedeon Richter Ltd. where they started using both cabeza de negro and barbasco (yam) to make progesterone.