David Hopwood facts for kids

Sir David Alan Hopwood is a famous British scientist. He is a microbiologist and a geneticist. This means he studies tiny living things, like bacteria, and how their DNA works. His work has been very important for understanding how to make antibiotics, which are medicines that fight bacterial infections.

Education and Early Life

David Hopwood was born on August 19, 1933. He went to Purbrook Park County High School and Lymm Grammar School.

For his higher education, he attended St John's College, Cambridge, where he earned his first degree. He later earned his PhD, a very high-level degree, from the University of Glasgow in 1973.

A Career in Science

After finishing his studies, Hopwood began his career as a teacher and researcher. He first worked at the University of Cambridge. In 1961, he became a Lecturer in Genetics at the University of Glasgow.

Later, he became a professor at the University of East Anglia. Today, he is an Emeritus Fellow at the John Innes Centre, a world-famous research center for plants and microbes. This title means he is retired but is still honored for his important contributions to science.

Scientific Discoveries and Awards

Sir David Hopwood is best known for his work on a special type of bacteria called Streptomyces coelicolor. For over 40 years, he studied this microbe's genetics and molecular biology.

Why is Streptomyces so important?

Streptomyces bacteria are amazing because they naturally produce many of the antibiotics we use as medicine. By understanding their DNA, scientists can learn how to make new and better medicines. Hopwood was a pioneer in this field. He figured out how to study and change the genes of these bacteria.

In 2002, he was part of a team that mapped the entire genome (the complete set of DNA) of S. coelicolor. This was a huge step forward for science. He also wrote a book about these amazing bacteria called Streptomyces in Nature and Medicine: The Antibiotic Makers.

Honors for a Top Scientist

Because of his groundbreaking work, Hopwood has received many awards.

• Fellow of the Royal Society (1979): The Royal Society is a group of the world's most respected scientists. Being elected as a Fellow is one of the highest honors a scientist in the UK can receive.
• Knighthood (1994): He was knighted by the Queen for his services to science, which is why he is called Sir David Hopwood.
• Gabor Medal (1995): He won this award for his pioneering work on the genetics of Streptomyces.

The Royal Society praised him for his amazing discoveries. They said he was the main person responsible for starting and leading the study of Streptomyces genetics. His work helped show that bacteria have circular chromosomes and discovered that some bacteria use special DNA circles called plasmids to create antibiotics.