Janet Thornton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame Janet Thornton
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Janet Thornton
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| Born |
Janet Maureen McLoughlin
23 May 1949 |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Bury Grammar School |
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| Spouse(s) |
Alan D. Thornton
(m. 1970) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Thesis | The conformation of dinucleotides (1975) |
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Dame Janet Maureen Thornton (born 23 May 1949) is a very important scientist. She is a director emeritus at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). This institute is part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
Dame Janet is one of the world's top researchers in bioinformatics. This field uses computers to understand how proteins are built and how they work. She was the director of the EBI from 2001 to 2015. She also played a big part in creating ELIXIR, which helps share life science data.
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Becoming a Scientist
Janet Thornton went to Bury Grammar School (Girls) until 1967. She was the head girl there. After school, she studied physics at the University of Nottingham.
Then, she earned a master's degree in biophysics from King's College London. Biophysics is about how physics applies to living things. She also got her PhD in biophysics in 1973.
Her Work and Discoveries
After getting her PhD, Janet Thornton worked at the University of Oxford. She studied how molecules are built. Later, she worked at the National Institute for Medical Research again. She also became a professor at University College London.
From 2001 to 2015, Dame Janet was the Director of the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). The EBI is located near Cambridge, England. She helped organize big science conferences, like one in Glasgow in 2004.
Dame Janet's work brings together many different science areas. These include understanding how living things are built, using computers in biology, and studying chemicals. She was one of the first to check if protein structures found by scientists were correct.
She also helped create CATH. This is a way to group and understand different protein structures. Her team also made a tool called EC-BLAST. It helps compare enzymes, which are special proteins that speed up chemical reactions in our bodies.
From 2008 to 2012, she helped start ELIXIR. This is a European project to share important life science data. She is still on the ELIXIR board today. Her research has received funding from important groups like the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.
Mentoring Other Scientists
Dame Janet Thornton has guided many students who were getting their PhDs. She also mentored scientists who were doing research after their PhDs. Two of her notable students are Sarah Teichmann and David Jones.
Awards and Special Recognition
Dame Janet Thornton has received many important awards for her scientific work.
- In 1999, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.
- She joined the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) in 2000.
- In 2003, she became a foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences.
- She was also made a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 2014.
- In 2017, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).
These awards show that she is recognized as a world leader in understanding proteins. Her work has helped us learn how proteins are shaped and how they cause diseases or affect ageing. The tools and databases she created are used by scientists and medicine companies all over the world.
In 2000, she was given the title Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Then, in 2012, she became a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). These are special honours given by the British Queen for great service. The Times newspaper also named her one of the top 100 British scientists in 2010. She received the Suffrage Science award in 2011.
