R. John Ellis
Encyclopedia
Reginald John Ellis, FRS, is a British scientist at The University of Warwick
. Ellis was born on 12th February, 1935, and educated at Highbury Grammar School, London. He studied at King's College, London and obtained a BSc degree in 1956 and PhD in 1960, for thesis research on the enzymology of transamination supervised by Professor D. D. Davies.
Ellis became Scientific Officer in the ARC (Agriculture Research Council) Unit of Plant Physiology, Imperial College, University of London
, 1959–1961 and an ARC Research Fellow at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford
, 1961–1964, working on the regulation of bacterial sulphate reduction with Professor C. A. Pasternak.
In 1964, Ellis joined the University of Aberdeen
as a lecturer in the Department of Botany, and moved to its Department of Biochemistry in 1968, following a visiting Professorship in the University of Toronto
in 1967.
In 1970, Ellis moved to the newly-created Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, as Senior Lecturer and founding Head of the Chloroplast Research Group. Ellis has remained at Warwick University as Reader (1973), holder of a Personal Chair (1976), and Emeritus Professor (1996). He was a Visiting Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford from 1996 until 2000. From 1990 until 2009, he organised annual meetings of the UK Molecular Chaperone Club at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, Bristol, Birmingham and Warwick.
Ellis is the author of How Science Works: Evolution.
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
. Ellis was born on 12th February, 1935, and educated at Highbury Grammar School, London. He studied at King's College, London and obtained a BSc degree in 1956 and PhD in 1960, for thesis research on the enzymology of transamination supervised by Professor D. D. Davies.
Ellis became Scientific Officer in the ARC (Agriculture Research Council) Unit of Plant Physiology, Imperial College, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, 1959–1961 and an ARC Research Fellow at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, 1961–1964, working on the regulation of bacterial sulphate reduction with Professor C. A. Pasternak.
In 1964, Ellis joined the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
as a lecturer in the Department of Botany, and moved to its Department of Biochemistry in 1968, following a visiting Professorship in the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1967.
In 1970, Ellis moved to the newly-created Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, as Senior Lecturer and founding Head of the Chloroplast Research Group. Ellis has remained at Warwick University as Reader (1973), holder of a Personal Chair (1976), and Emeritus Professor (1996). He was a Visiting Professor at the Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford from 1996 until 2000. From 1990 until 2009, he organised annual meetings of the UK Molecular Chaperone Club at the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, London, Bristol, Birmingham and Warwick.
Ellis is the author of How Science Works: Evolution.
Awards
- 1980: Tate & LyleTate & LyleTate & Lyle plc is a British-based multinational agribusiness. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index as of 20 June 2011...
Award for contributions to plant biochemistry. - 1983: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London for contributions to chloroplastChloroplastChloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and other eukaryotic organisms that conduct photosynthesis. Chloroplasts capture light energy to conserve free energy in the form of ATP and reduce NADP to NADPH through a complex set of processes called photosynthesis.Chloroplasts are green...
biogenesisBiogenesisBiogenesis is the law that living things come only from other living things, e.g. a spider lays eggs, which develop into spiders. It may also refer to biochemical processes of production in living organisms.-Spontaneous generation:...
. - 1983: Five-year Senior Research Fellowship of the Science and Engineering Research CouncilScience and Engineering Research CouncilThe Science and Engineering Research Council used to be the UK agency in charge of publicly funded scientific and engineering research activities including astronomy, biotechnology and biological sciences, space research and particle physics...
to work on chaperone-assisted protein assembly. - 1986: Elected Member of EMBO, the European Molecular Biology Organisation.
- 1992: Senior Research Fellowship at St John's CollegeSt John's College, Oxford__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, University of Oxford. - 1997: Appointed Academic Visitor for four years at University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
to work on protein folding with Professor Chris M. Dobson FRS in the Department of Chemistry. - 2004: Gairdner FoundationGairdner FoundationThe Gairdner Foundation was created in 1957 by James Arthur Gairdner to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. Since the first awards were made in 1959, the Gairdner Awards have become Canada's...
International Award for “fundamental discoveries in chaperone-assisted protein folding in the cell and its relevance to neurodegenerationNeurodegenerationNeurodegeneration is the umbrella term for the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, including death of neurons. Many neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s occur as a result of neurodegenerative processes. As research progresses, many...
”. - 2007: Cell Stress Society International Medal for "pioneering research on the chaperonins".
- 2011: Croonian Prize Lecture of the Royal Society for "pioneering contributions to biochemistry, molecular biology, and also plant sciences".
Principal research achievements
- 1973: First identification of a product of protein synthesis by chloroplastChloroplastChloroplasts are organelles found in plant cells and other eukaryotic organisms that conduct photosynthesis. Chloroplasts capture light energy to conserve free energy in the form of ATP and reduce NADP to NADPH through a complex set of processes called photosynthesis.Chloroplasts are green...
ribosomes. - 1978: First demonstration of in vitro post-translational protein transport.
- 1980: First demonstration of the binding of a chaperone to a newly synthesized polypeptide.
- 1987: Formulation of the general concept of molecular chaperone function.
- 1988: Discovery of the chaperonins.
- 2000: First demonstration that macromolecular crowdingMacromolecular crowdingThe phenomenon of macromolecular crowding alters the properties of molecules in a solution when high concentrations of macromolecules such as proteins are present. Such conditions occur routinely in living cells; for instance, the cytosol of Escherichia coli contains about 300–400 milligrammes per...
affects protein foldingProtein foldingProtein folding is the process by which a protein structure assumes its functional shape or conformation. It is the physical process by which a polypeptide folds into its characteristic and functional three-dimensional structure from random coil....
and aggregation.