Edwin Southern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
Edwin Southern
FRS FRSE
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Sir Edwin in 2012
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| Born |
Edwin Mellor Southern
7 June 1938 Burnley, United Kingdom
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| Alma mater |
University of Manchester (BSc)
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| Known for | Southern blot |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Molecular Biology |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | Studies on synthetic and naturally occurring enzyme metabolites (1964) |
| Doctoral students | Robin Allshire |
Sir Edwin Mellor Southern (born June 7, 1938) is a famous English scientist. He is a molecular biologist and a professor at the University of Oxford. He is best known for inventing a method called the Southern blot in 1975. This method is now used often in science labs around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Edwin Southern was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England. He went to Burnley Grammar School. Later, he studied Chemistry at the University of Manchester. He earned his first degree there in 1958. He then continued his studies at the University of Glasgow. He received his PhD in 1962.
Career and Scientific Discoveries
Sir Edwin Southern has had a very important career in science. He founded a company called Oxford Gene Technology (OGT). He is also the chairman of two charities. These are The Kirkhouse Trust and The Edina Trust. Both charities help promote science education and research. They get their money from the technology Sir Edwin invented.
Understanding the Southern Blot
The Southern blot is a special method used to study DNA. It helps scientists find specific DNA sequences. Before other methods were developed, it was used for genetic fingerprinting. It also helped with DNA paternity testing. This procedure can also show how many copies of a gene are in a living thing's genome. The ideas from the Southern blot helped create modern DNA microarray technology. Other similar methods for studying RNA and protein are named after the Southern blot.
Developing DNA Microarrays
In 1995, Sir Edwin started Oxford Gene Technology (OGT). This company worked on developing DNA microarray technology. DNA microarrays are tiny chips that can test for thousands of genes at once. This technology is very useful in medical research. In 1999, OGT won an important lawsuit. This lawsuit was about the patents for his microarray technology.
Awards and Special Honours
Sir Edwin Southern has received many important awards for his work.
- In 1990, he won the Gairdner Foundation International Award.
- He was given the Royal Medal by the Royal Society of London in 1998.
- In 1999, he received an award for excellence in molecular diagnostics.
- He was made a Knight in 2003. This means he can use "Sir" before his name.
- In 2005, he won the famous Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research. He shared this award with Alec Jeffreys. They won it for inventing the Southern blot.
- He was also honored by the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities in 2005.
- In 2012, he became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
His work has greatly helped our understanding of DNA. It has also led to new ways to study genes.
