John G. White (biologist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John White
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| Born |
John Graham White
1943 (age 81–82) |
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| Known for | Research using Caenorhabditis elegans |
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| Thesis | Computer aided reconstruction of the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans (1975) |
| Doctoral advisor | Sydney Brenner |
| Doctoral students | Richard Durbin |
| Other notable students | |
John Graham White, born in 1943, is a smart scientist from Wales. He used to be a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is known for studying tiny worms called Caenorhabditis elegans and for developing special microscopes that use lasers. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists.
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Education and Early Research
John White went to Brunel University and studied Physics. He earned his first degree in 1969. Later, he went to the University of Cambridge for his PhD, which he completed in 1975. For his PhD, he used computers to help map the nervous system of the Caenorhabditis elegans worm. His teacher was a famous scientist named Sydney Brenner.
Discoveries and Career
After working at a lab called the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, John White moved to the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1993. His main research focused on how cells divide in the Caenorhabditis elegans worm.
Mapping the Nervous System
Working with other scientists like Sydney Brenner and John Sulston, John White helped create a new type of microscope called a confocal microscope. This microscope allowed them to see tiny details inside living cells. They also used it to map the entire nervous system of the Caenorhabditis elegans worm. This tiny worm has 302 neurons (nerve cells) and over 7,000 synapses (connections between nerve cells).
Their detailed map was published in 1986. This work was very important because it was one of the first studies in a new field called connectomics. Connectomics is all about mapping all the connections in a brain or nervous system.
Studying Cell Division
John White's research also looked into how cells divide. He studied how cells interact with each other to form different parts of the worm. This helped other scientists understand how living things develop.
More recently, John White and his team confirmed some of their earlier ideas about cytokinesis. This is the final step where a cell splits into two new cells. They found genes that control this process and even discovered features that were once thought to be only in plant cell division.
Developing New Tools
John White saw how useful laser-scanning confocal microscopy could be. So, he built an early version of this microscope. With another scientist named Brad Amos, he helped turn this early version into a microscope that could be sold to labs everywhere. This type of microscope is now used widely in science.
Many students learned from John White. Some of his former students include Richard Durbin, Julie Ahringer, and Tony Hyman.
Awards and Honors
John White has received several important awards for his scientific work.
- In 1994, he received the Mullard Award.
- Also in 1994, he became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
- In 2005, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.
The Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging at the University of Wisconsin-Madison even has a special seminar series named after John White. Famous scientists like Martin Chalfie and Cornelia Bargmann have given talks there.
Later Life
John White retired in 2008 and became a professor emeritus. This means he still holds the title of professor even after retiring.
