Henry John Woods
Encyclopedia
Henry John Woods was a British molecular biologist who worked in the field of fibrous protein
research. He was a pioneer in the field of low-angle X-ray
investigations of a-keratins.
Henry Woods also classified textile patterns. The 46 two-color repeating patterns of the plane were originally classified by him in 1935–36.
Woods' scientific career began in 1928 at Leeds University, where he was appointed Research Assistant
to W. T. Astbury who had just joined the Textile Department and had founded the Textile Physics Laboratory. With Astbury, he published some classical papers on "X-ray studies of the structure of hair, wool, and related fibres".
Woods and Astbury recognized that the a-~ transformations involved an actual stretching of the molecular chains. Today, it is well-known that helical structures are transformed into pleated sheet structures. In the 1930s, however, it was revolutionary to explain a macroscopic stretching process using molecular arguments and to postulate correlations between the X-ray structure and the physical properties of fibrous proteins.
Woods was always proud of introducing a new word — "supercontraction" — into the English language
.
Astbury and Woods worked together in fruitful collaboration until Astbury became Professor of Biomolecular Structure in 1945.
Woods remained in the Department of Textile Industries, was appointed Lecturer (1945), Senior Lecturer (1950), and finally Reader (1958) in Textile Physics.
Fibrous protein
Scleroproteins, or fibrous proteins, constitute one of the three main classes of proteins, alongside globular proteins and conjugated proteins.Keratin, collagen, elastin, and fibroin are all scleroproteins...
research. He was a pioneer in the field of low-angle X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
investigations of a-keratins.
Henry Woods also classified textile patterns. The 46 two-color repeating patterns of the plane were originally classified by him in 1935–36.
Woods' scientific career began in 1928 at Leeds University, where he was appointed Research Assistant
Research assistant
A research assistant is a researcher employed, often on a temporary contract, by a university or a research institute, for the purpose of assisting in academic research...
to W. T. Astbury who had just joined the Textile Department and had founded the Textile Physics Laboratory. With Astbury, he published some classical papers on "X-ray studies of the structure of hair, wool, and related fibres".
Woods and Astbury recognized that the a-~ transformations involved an actual stretching of the molecular chains. Today, it is well-known that helical structures are transformed into pleated sheet structures. In the 1930s, however, it was revolutionary to explain a macroscopic stretching process using molecular arguments and to postulate correlations between the X-ray structure and the physical properties of fibrous proteins.
Woods was always proud of introducing a new word — "supercontraction" — into the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Astbury and Woods worked together in fruitful collaboration until Astbury became Professor of Biomolecular Structure in 1945.
Woods remained in the Department of Textile Industries, was appointed Lecturer (1945), Senior Lecturer (1950), and finally Reader (1958) in Textile Physics.