David Alan Walker

For other people called David Walker, see David Walker.
David Walker
Born David Alan Walker
(1928-08-18)18 August 1928
Kingston upon Hull
Died 12 February 2012(2012-02-12) (aged 83)
Fields Photosynthesis
Institutions
Alma mater Durham University (BSc, PhD)
Doctoral advisor Meirion Thomas[1][2][3]
Influences Robin Hill[4]
Notable awards
Website
www.dawalker.staff.shef.ac.uk/daw/home

David Alan Walker FRS[1][5] (18 August 1928 – 12 February 2012) was a British scientist and Professor of Photosynthesis in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences (APS) at the University of Sheffield.[4][6][7][8][9][10] He authored over 200 scientific publications including several books during his lifetime.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Education

Walker was born in Hull and attended South Shields Boys' High School from 1939 to 1946. After doing his national service in the Royal Naval Air Service, he studied at King’s College, Newcastle, then part of the Durham University, where he received his Bachelor of Science and subsequently his PhD.

Research

Walker's research interests were in photosynthesis, specifically he:

“ made important contributions to the understanding of photosynthesis, in particular the fixation of carbon dioxide by the biochemical transformations of the Benson–Calvin cycle in the stroma of chloroplasts of higher plants. Based on the meticulous attention to detail and technical prowess derived from his earlier training as an enzymologist, his work prompted totally new thinking about how this cycle was regulated and how it interfaced with the synthesis of ATP and NADPH in the light reactions of photosynthesis.[1] ”

Awards and honours

Walker was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 1976. His nomination reads:

“ Walker was the first to show how to obtain high rates of photosynthesis in vitro with bulk preparations of chloroplasts from a leaf. He then was able to study the process of photosynthesis in terms of the selective permeabilities of the outer membrane of a chloroplast in relation to the transfer of active components in the photosynthetic cycle. His methods were rapidly appreciated and widely used: they result in major advances for the study of the physiology of a green plant.

Walker is specially distinguished for his contributions to knowledge of the enzymes concerned with carbon fixation by plants both in connection with photosynthesis and with his earlier studies on crassulacean metabolism.[18]

 ”

In 2004, Walker received the International Society of Photosynthesis Research Communications Award "to acknowledge his outstanding efforts to communicate photosynthesis to the general public."[19] Walker was also awarded a Doctor of Science degree from Newcastle University in recognition of his exceptional contributions of published work in his field.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Horton, Peter (2014). "David Alan Walker 18 August 1928 -- 13 February 2012". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 60: 413–432. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2014.0007.
  2. ↑ "Botany at Newcastle on Tyne: Prof. Meirion Thomas, F.R.S". Nature. 186 (4730): 1016. 1960. doi:10.1038/1861016a0.
  3. ↑ Porter, H. K. (1978). "Meirion Thomas. 28 December 1894-5 April 1977". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 24: 547–568. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1978.0018.
  4. 1 2 Walker, D. A. (1997). "Tell me where all past years are" (PDF). Photosynthesis Research. 51: 3–4. doi:10.1023/A:1005798803998.
  5. ↑ Royal Society (1999). List of Fellows of the Royal Society 1660-1998, p. 167.
  6. ↑ Walker, D. A. (2007). "From Chlorella to chloroplasts: A personal note". Photosynthesis Research. 92 (2): 181–185. doi:10.1007/s11120-007-9139-3. PMID 17279437.
  7. ↑ Walker, D. A. (2003). "Chloroplasts in envelopes: CO(2) fixation by fully functional intact chloroplasts". Photosynthesis Research. 76 (1–3): 319–327. doi:10.1023/A:1024962328483. PMID 16228590.
  8. ↑ Walker, D. A.; Sivak, M. N. (1986). "Photosynthesis and phosphate: A cellular affair?". Trends in Biochemical Sciences. 11 (4): 176–179. doi:10.1016/0968-0004(86)90136-2.
  9. ↑ "Notices 2012". Royal Society. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  10. 1 2 David Alan Walker's publications indexed by the Scopus bibliographic database, a service provided by Elsevier. (subscription required)
  11. ↑ Downloadable publications by David Alan Walker, FRS hosted by Hansatech Instruments for the International Society of Photosynthesis Research
  12. ↑ Walker, Richard T.; Walker, David (1992). Energy, Plants and Man. Oxygraphics Ltd. ISBN 1-870232-05-4.
  13. ↑ David Alan Walker on WorldCat
  14. ↑ Walker, D. A. (2009). "Biofuels, facts, fantasy, and feasibility". Journal of Applied Phycology. 21 (5): 509–517. doi:10.1007/s10811-009-9446-5.
  15. ↑ Foyer, Christine (1983). "Measurement of the ascorbate content of spinach leaf protoplasts and chloroplasts during illumination". Planta. 157 (3): 239–244. doi:10.1007/BF00405188. PMID 24264153.
  16. ↑ Heber, U; Walker, D (1992). "Concerning a dual function of coupled cyclic electron transport in leaves". Plant Physiology. 100 (4): 1621–6. doi:10.1104/pp.100.4.1621. PMC 1075843Freely accessible. PMID 16653176.
  17. ↑ Lilley, R. M.; Walker, D. A. (1974). "An improved spectrophotometric assay for ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 358 (1): 226–9. doi:10.1016/0005-2744(74)90274-5. PMID 4368401.
  18. ↑ "EC/1979/38: Walker, David Alan". London: The Royal Society. Archived from the original on 2014-07-10.
  19. ↑ Royal Society (1999) p. 167; International Society of Photosynthesis Research Awards Presented at Montréal Congress - August 2004


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