William Hayes (geneticist)
Encyclopedia
William Hayes FRS was an Irish geneticist.
, graduated BA in Natural Science in 1936 and qualified in medicine the following year (MB, BCh, University of Dublin
).
and Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital
, Dublin, before becoming an Assistant to his mentor, Professor J W Bigger, in the Department of Bacteriology at Trinity College. Here his work included routine diagnostic bacteriology and serology and studies of phase variation in Salmonella.
During WWII he was a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps
serving with the Indian Army Medical Corps
. Here he began work on penicillin, wrote a book on penicillin therapy and published some of his work on Salmonella infection in the Army in India, which was the beginning of his active interest in bacterial genetics.
In 1947, Hayes returned to a Lectureship at Trinity College, Dublin where he continued his studies with Salmonella, developing his enthusiasm for bacterial genetics, and being awarded the DSc degree. In 1950 he then moved to a senior Lectureship in bacteriology at the University of London
Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith and began work on bacterial mating. He developed the concept of a donor–recipient partnership with uni-directional transfer of genetic material. The importance of this discovery was quickly emphasised and widely recognised when he found that only a part of the genetic material was transferred from the donor strain (male) to the recipient. The announcement of these spectacular results at a meeting at Pallanza in 1952 firmly established Hayes internationally as a leader in his field.
In Mar 1964 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1965 delivered their Leeuwenhoek Lecture
. He delivered the Bateson Lecture at the John Innes symposium in 1972 on "Molecular genetics in retrospect"
After a sabbatical year at the California Institute of Technology
he became the Director in 1957 of a new Medical Research Council
Microbial Genetics Unit in Hammersmith.
In 1968 the team moved to the newly formed Department of Molecular Biology at Edinburgh University.
In 1973, with the new Department at Edinburgh firmly established, Hayes accepted the Chair of Genetics at the Australian National University
, Canberra, and went back to experimental work on Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Early life
He was born in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, the only son of William Hayes, a successful Dublin pharmacist, and his second wife, Miriam, née Harris. Hayes was still a child when his father died and he lived with his mother and grandmother and was educated at home by a governess, before going to a preparatory school in Dalkey and then in 1927 to St Columba's College at Rathfarnham, where his early interest in science began to develop as a hobby. He read medicine at Trinity College, DublinTrinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, graduated BA in Natural Science in 1936 and qualified in medicine the following year (MB, BCh, University of Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
).
Career
He completed internships at the Victoria Hospital, BlackpoolVictoria Hospital (Blackpool)
Victoria Hospital is the main hospital for Blackpool and the Fylde Coast in Lancashire, England. The hospital is part of the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust....
and Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital
Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital
Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital was a hospital and school for physicians on Grand Canal Street, Dublin which opened in 1808 and was named after the Irish physician Sir Patrick Dun.-History:...
, Dublin, before becoming an Assistant to his mentor, Professor J W Bigger, in the Department of Bacteriology at Trinity College. Here his work included routine diagnostic bacteriology and serology and studies of phase variation in Salmonella.
During WWII he was a Major in the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
serving with the Indian Army Medical Corps
Indian Army Medical Corps
-Early history:Very little is known of the medical organisations that existed in the various Armies in this country in the ancient times. However, Kautilya’s Arthashastra shows that during battles, physicians with surgical instruments used to stand behind the fighting men...
. Here he began work on penicillin, wrote a book on penicillin therapy and published some of his work on Salmonella infection in the Army in India, which was the beginning of his active interest in bacterial genetics.
In 1947, Hayes returned to a Lectureship at Trinity College, Dublin where he continued his studies with Salmonella, developing his enthusiasm for bacterial genetics, and being awarded the DSc degree. In 1950 he then moved to a senior Lectureship in bacteriology at the 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...
Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith and began work on bacterial mating. He developed the concept of a donor–recipient partnership with uni-directional transfer of genetic material. The importance of this discovery was quickly emphasised and widely recognised when he found that only a part of the genetic material was transferred from the donor strain (male) to the recipient. The announcement of these spectacular results at a meeting at Pallanza in 1952 firmly established Hayes internationally as a leader in his field.
In Mar 1964 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and in 1965 delivered their Leeuwenhoek Lecture
Leeuwenhoek Lecture
The Leeuwenhoek Lecture is a prize lecture of the Royal Society originally given annually, but now every three years, on the subject of microbiology. It is named after the Dutch microscopist Anton van Leeuwenhoek and was instituted in 1948 from a bequest...
. He delivered the Bateson Lecture at the John Innes symposium in 1972 on "Molecular genetics in retrospect"
After a sabbatical year at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
he became the Director in 1957 of a new Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council may refer to:* Medical Research Council , a UK organisation* National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia's peak funding body for medical research...
Microbial Genetics Unit in Hammersmith.
In 1968 the team moved to the newly formed Department of Molecular Biology at Edinburgh University.
In 1973, with the new Department at Edinburgh firmly established, Hayes accepted the Chair of Genetics at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Canberra, and went back to experimental work on Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Later life
He retired in 1978 and moved to Sydney, NSW where he died in 1994. He had married Honora Lee in 1941; their son Michael is a medical professional.Honours and Awards
- Fellow of Royal College of Physicians in Ireland (1943)
- Fellow of Royal Society of London (1964)
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1968)
- Australian Academy of Science (1976)
- Fellowship of the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London (1985)
- Honorary Degrees from the University of Leicester - (Doctor of Science 1968), University of Dublin - (Doctor of Laws 1970), University of Kent - (Doctor of Science 1973) and the National University of Ireland - (Doctor of Science 1973).
- Lectures included the Royal Society Leeuwenhoek Lecture (1965), the Genetical Society Mendel Lecture (1965), the first Griffith Memorial Lecture (1965), the Burnet Lecture and Medal of the Australian Academy of Science (1977), .