Howard Sidney Thomas FWIP FLSW | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1948 |
| Died | 2022 |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | plant senescence; jazz; science communication |
| Spouse | Helen Ougham |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Welsh Plant Breeding Station; University of Aberystwyth, Wales |
| Website | sidthomas |
Howard Sidney (Sid) Thomas, FWIF, FLSW (1948 - 2022) was a plant scientist at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station and later the University of Aberystwyth, and also a jazz musician and composer. He became Emeritus Professor of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of Aberystwyth. [1]
Thomas studied at University of Aberystwyth and was later awarded the DSc degree by the same University. [2] He started his career in the 1960s at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station in Aberystwyth, Wales. He worked on breeding improved varieties of forage grasses and grains, including oats and barley. He made use of cytogenetic methods. [3] He also investigated how grass leaves yellowed and died, since prolonging active green leaves would improve their value as forage. He collaborated with other researchers to bring new technologies into the studies. His work moved into research on photosynthesis, effects of temperature on grasses and also developing an understanding of the differences in biochemistry and lipid metabolism as leaves died. This work made a substantial contribution to the understanding of the catabolism of chloroplasts and chlorophylls. [4] [5] He began to apply computing to his data from the 1980s as small microcomputers became available.
His work led to the identification of non-yellowing mutants of grasses, subsequently termed a 'stay-green' phenotype, [6] and then more detailed genetic study to characterise their differences from typical grasses. [7] Initially using classical genetics methods but later molecular genetics, Thomas and his collaborators identified a gene, Sid ((senescence-induced degradation), the protein product of which stabilised the pigment-protein-lipid complexes of chloroplasts so that dying leaves remained green. [8] A mutation in the phaeophorbide a dioxygenase gene was later identified as the reason for the phenotype. Later, collaborating with researchers in Switzerland and the USA using molecular genetics, functional analysis and cell biology in pea, Arabidopsis, rice and Festuca pratensis, the researchers showed that this gene was one that Gregor Mendel recorded in 1866 that resulted in green or yellow cotyledons. [9]
Thomas held visiting professorships at the Universities of California, Bern and Zurich. Later in his career he was the head of cell and molecular biology research and a member of the management board at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research. [2]
He was also involved in public communication around plants, including investigating the concept of plant blindness. [10] as well as promoting links between science and the arts. He participated in the Hay Literary Festival in 2013 in a panel discussion about Shakespeare and sustainability with English scholars. [11] Thomas collaborated with Jayne Archer and Richard Marggraf Turley. This work also threw light on the significance of crop weeds such as darnel in King Lear. [12] [13]
Thomas was the author or co-author of over 200 scientific publications and books. Among the most significant were:
Thomas was a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (elected 2014) [14] and of the Linnean Society. [15]
Thomas was married to Helen Ougham and had a son. [16] He died 12 July 2022. [17]
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