Luis Leloir was an Argentinian chemist, born in France, who was awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research into the biochemical processes that break down complex sugars into simpler carbohydrates. In 1947 he helped to establish the Institute of Biochemical Research in Buenos Aires, where he began work on the production of lactose. This research eventually led to the discovery of sugar nucleotides, fundamental factors in the natural process of carbohydrate synthesis. Leloir also synthesized glycogen and demonstrated the necessity of certain liver enzymes in the manufacture of glycogen in the body.