Marshall Hatch facts for kids
Marshall (Hal) Davidson Hatch was an important Australian scientist. He was born on December 24, 1932. He studied how living things work at a tiny level (a biochemist). He also studied how plants grow and function (a plant physiologist).
Marshall Hatch worked as a top research scientist. He was at the CSIRO in Canberra. This is a big science organization in Australia. He is recognized by many important science groups around the world.
In 1966, he made a big discovery with Charles Roger Slack. They figured out how some plants take in carbon dioxide. This process is called the C4 pathway. It's also known as the Hatch-Slack pathway. This discovery helped us understand how plants make their food. Marshall Hatch is now retired.
Early Life and Education
Marshall Hatch was born in Perth, Western Australia. His parents were Alice and Lloyd Davidson Hatch. His father was an accountant. In 1947, his family moved to Sydney.
He went to Applecross Primary School. Then he spent a year at Wesley College. After moving, he finished high school at Newington College. He was there from 1947 to 1950. He was good at sports, playing rugby and winning a state running championship.
After high school, he went to the University of Sydney. He studied biochemistry, which is the chemistry of living things. He earned his first degree in 1954. He then completed his PhD in 1959.
Science Career
From 1955 to 1959, Marshall Hatch worked at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Sydney. He was a plant research scientist. In 1959, he received a special scholarship called a Fulbright Fellowship. This allowed him to work at the University of California, Davis, in the United States.
From 1961 to 1966, Hatch worked at the David North Plant Research Centre. This center was part of the Colonial Sugar Refining Co Ltd in Brisbane. He worked with another scientist named K.T. Glasziou.
In 1967, he taught botany (the study of plants) at the University of Queensland. He returned to CSR from 1968 to 1969. There, he was the director of the David North Plant Research Centre. Since 1970, he has been a chief research scientist at CSIRO Plant Industry in Canberra.
The C4 Pathway Discovery
One of Marshall Hatch's most famous discoveries was the C4 pathway. This pathway explains how certain plants, like corn and sugarcane, capture carbon dioxide. They do this very efficiently, especially in hot, sunny places.
He discovered this pathway with Charles Roger Slack in 1966. It was a major breakthrough in understanding photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process plants use to turn sunlight into energy. This discovery helped scientists understand how different plants grow and use resources.
Awards and Recognition
Marshall Hatch has received many important awards for his work. These awards recognize his big contributions to science.
- Centenary Medal (2001): This award was given for his service to Australian society and science. It recognized his work in biochemistry and plant physiology.
- International Prize for Biology (1991): This is a very important award in biology. He received it for his contributions to plant sciences.
- Member of the Order of Australia (1981): This honor recognized his public service in the field of plant metabolism.
- Rank Prize in Nutrition (1981): He shared this prize with Hugo Kortschak and Roger Slack. They received it for their "outstanding work on the mechanism of photosynthesis." Their work showed how some important food plants first take in carbon dioxide.
- Lemberg Medal (1974): This award is from the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
