Pollock, Martin Rivers, 1914-1999 (professor of biology, University of Edinburgh)
Biography
Martin Rivers Pollock was born on 10 December 1914, the son of Hamilton Rivers Pollock and Eveline Morton Pollock. He attended Winchester College before gaining a place at Trinity College Cambridge in 1933 (Senior Scholarship 1936). At Cambridge he studied Medicine (pre-clinical), moving to University College Hospital Medical School, London to complete his medical training in 1937-1939. He qualified M.B., B.Chir. in 1940.
Pollock held hospital appointments at University College Hospital and Brompton Chest Hospital 1939-1941 before joining the Emergency Public Health Laboratory Service as a Bacteriologist in 1941. In 1943 he was seconded to a Medical Research Council unit to work on infective hepatitis. In 1945 Pollock was formally taken onto the staff of the Medical Research Council. He worked at the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Mill Hill, London, initially under Sir Paul Fildes before being appointed Head of the Division of Bacterial Physiology in 1949. He remained at the NIMR to 1965, spending two periods (1948 and 1952-1953) studying in the laboratory of Jacques Monod at the Institut Pasteur, Paris. Pollock had for some years being considering the possibility of establishing a unit for teaching and research in molecular biology, which would bring together bacterial genetics and biochemistry, and a number of possible locations had been evaluated. M.M. Swann, the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Edinburgh, persuaded Pollock to move north and in 1965 Pollock was appointed Professor of Biology at Edinburgh. Shortly afterwards, his colleague William Hayes moved from the MRC Unit for Bacterial Genetics at Hammersmith Hospital London. Together they established at Edinburgh the Department of Molecular Biology, the first such teaching department in the world. Pollock took early retirement in 1976, moving to Dorset. He took no further active part in scientific research but maintained his growing interest in the relationship between science and art, organising a major conference on the subject in 1981. He died in December 1999. Pollock's thirty years of scientific research from the end of the Second World War, both at the NIMR and Edinburgh University, focused on enzyme induction in bacteria. He studied the mechanism by which beta-lactamase enzymes (particularly penicillinase) are involved in the development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. For his contributions in this area Pollock was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society in 1962. In the 1970s Pollock became interested in developments in biotechnology and artificial intelligence, encouraging interdepartmental cooperation in these areas.
Found in 542 Collections and/or Records:
International Congress of Biochemistry, Brussels, Belgium, 1955, 1954-1955
'Introduction' beginning 'Human beings are always seeking explanations for things'., 1973
The material consists of a 4 page typescript dated January 1973.
Invitation to review; 11pp typescript 'Final version', 1973
The material consists of an invitation to review; 11pp typescript 'Final version'.
Itinerary for visit to India; duplicated typescript report on visit, 1973
J.D. Bernal Peace Library, 1967-1982
This sub-series consists of 58 files relating to organisations which Pollock was involved in. Arranged in alphabetical order. The single largest component is the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science, with its Working Party on International Responsibility of Scientists and the Edinburgh Society for Social Responsibility in Science.
John Wiley Sons Ltd., 1982
The material consists of editorial correspondence relating to Martin Rivers Pollock's work at John Wiley Sons Ltd., 1982.
Journal of Bacteriology, 1968-1971
The material consists of editorial correspondence relating to Martin Rivers Pollock's work at Journal of Bacteriology refereeing, 1968-1971.
Journal of Molecular Biology, 1964-1973
The material relates to Martin Rivers Pollock's work refereeing Journal of Molecular Biology, 1964-1973.
Journal of Molecular Evolution, 1970-1971
The material relates to an invitation for Martin Rivers Pollock to serve on editorial board of title render="italic">Journal of Molecular Evolution
Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 1957-1958
The material consists of corrections to errors in papers for Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology.
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 541
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Correspondence 245
- Lectures and Lecturing 109
- Penicillin 39
- Biology 27
- Freedom of speech 10
- Antibiotics 9
- Biological weapons 7
- Human rights 7
- Santiago (Chile) 6
- Chile 4
- Radio Broadcasting 4
- Administration 3
- Conferences 3
- Enzymes 3
- Genetics 3
- Molecular biology 3
- Students 3
- Study, Courses of 3
- Television broadcasting 3
- Trade Unions 3
- Appointment to Office 2
- Brazil 2
- Cambridge (England) 2
- Censorship 2
- Chemistry 2
- Corporate Minutes 2
- DNA 2
- Degree Courses 2
- Degrees, Academic 2
- England -- Newcastle Upon Tyne 2
- Exhibitions 2
- Glasgow (Scotland) 2
- Italy 2
- Maryland United States of America 2
- New York City (New York, United States) 2
- Obituaries 2
- Peace movements 2
- Research Grants 2
- Science, Study and Teaching 2
- Applications for Positions 1
- Belgium -- Brussels 1
- Bibliography 1
- Biochemistry 1
- Biography 1
- Bristol (England) 1
- Copenhagen (Denmark) 1
- Documentary films 1
- Drug resistance in microorganisms 1
- Evolution (Biology) 1
- Greece 1
- Hungary 1
- Japan 1
- Lectures 1
- Leeds (England) 1
- Medicine | History | 1
- Medicine | Research | 1
- Membership 1
- Molecular Genetics 1
- New York City, United States of America 1
- Newcastle Upon Tyne (England) 1
- Paris, France 1
- Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (United States) 1
- Poland 1
- Scholarly Publishing 1
- Scotland -- Inverness-shire -- Loch Ness 1
- Sheffield (England) 1
- Soviet Union 1
- Swann, Michael Swann, Baron, 1920-1990 -- Correspondence 1
- Sweden 1
- University of Oxford 1
- Vaccines 1
- X-rays 1 + ∧ less