Roger Slack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger Slack
FRS FRSNZ
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| Born |
Charles Roger Slack
22 April 1937 Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 24 October 2016 (aged 79) Palmerston North, New Zealand
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| Alma mater | University of Nottingham |
| Spouse(s) |
Pam Shaw
(m. 1963) |
| Children | 2 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Plant biology and biochemistry |
| Institutions | Crop and Food Research |
| Thesis | The role of boron in plant nutrition (1962) |
Charles Roger Slack (born April 22, 1937 – died October 24, 2016) was an important scientist. He was a plant biologist and biochemist from Britain. He spent most of his career working in Australia and New Zealand.
Roger Slack is famous for a big discovery he made in 1966 with another scientist, Marshall Hatch. They found out how some plants use a special way to make their food. This process is called C4 photosynthesis, also known as the Hatch Slack Pathway. It helps plants grow well even in hot, sunny places.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Roger Slack was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, England, on April 22, 1937. He was the only child in his family.
He loved science and went to the University of Nottingham. There, he studied biochemistry, which is the study of the chemical processes happening inside living things. He earned his first degree in 1958. Then, he continued his studies and received his PhD in 1962. A PhD is a very high university degree that shows someone is an expert in their field.
In 1963, Roger Slack married Pam Shaw. They had two children together.
His Scientific Career
After finishing his studies in 1962, Roger Slack moved to Australia. He worked as a biochemist at a research center in Brisbane, Queensland. This center was funded by a sugar company, which shows how important plant science is for agriculture.
In 1970, he moved to New Zealand and joined the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. This was a government organization focused on science. He continued his important research there.
Later, in 1989, he became a senior scientist at a new research center called Crop & Food Research in Palmerston North. He worked there until he retired in 2000. Roger Slack passed away in Palmerston North in 2016.
What is C4 Photosynthesis?
C4 photosynthesis is a special way some plants make their food using sunlight. Most plants use a process called C3 photosynthesis. But C4 plants, like corn, sugarcane, and many grasses, have a different method.
This C4 pathway helps them:
- Grow faster in hot, sunny places.
- Use water more efficiently. This means they don't need as much water to grow.
- Be more productive in tough environments.
Roger Slack and Marshall Hatch's discovery helped us understand how these plants are so successful. It also helps scientists think about how to make other crops grow better.
Awards and Recognition
Roger Slack's amazing work was recognized with several important awards:
- 1970: He received the Peter Goldacre Award from the Australian Society of Plant Scientists.
- 1980: He shared the Charles F Kettering Award with Hugo Kortschak and Marshall (Hal) Davidson Hatch from the American Society of Plant Physiologists.
- 1981: He also shared the Rank Prize for Nutrition with Hugo Kortschak and Marshall Hatch.
He was also honored by scientific societies:
- 1983: He was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Being a Fellow means you are recognized as a leading scientist.
- 1989: He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honors a scientist can receive in the United Kingdom.
The Roger Slack Award
To honor his great contributions, the New Zealand Society of Plant Biologists renamed their yearly award after him in 2007. The Roger Slack Award is given to members of the society who have made outstanding contributions to the study of plant biology. It celebrates his role in discovering C4 photosynthesis and his work in New Zealand science.
