2001 CSPP Gold Medal
John King
Dr. John King has been a guiding light for plant physiology in Canada on many levels. For almost three decades, he has directed an innovative and productive research program that was exploring the genetic basis of physiological and metabolic processes at a time when this was almost unheard of in plant systems. His adoption of plant cell culture systems and mutant selection techniques as a surrogate for the advantages presented by microbial cultures was a bold step, and one that led to important observations on the nature of metabolic organization and regulation in amino acid biosynthesis in plants. This expertise and experience led him to examine the impacts of specific herbicides on plant amino acid metabolism, while the isolation of mutant herbicide-tolerant lines has allowed him, in turn, to use these to dissect the regulatory patterns involved in branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. Woven through this large body of work has been a consistent theme of rigorous biochemical examination of the mechanisms underlying the genetic and physiological phenomena he was addressing. Most recently, he has added another powerful tool, C- 13 NMR, to the arsenal of analytical methodologies he brings to bear on problems of amino acid and one-carbon metabolism.
John King is not only an excellent scientist, but also a superb teacher and communicator. Both within plant physiology courses and in courses offered in general biology, John has brought his enthusiasm for plants and his ability to illuminate complex topics to many hundreds of students over the years. The range of his communication efforts is perhaps best reflected in his publication of two successful texts in the past decade. The singleauthored text, The Genetic Basis of Plant Physiological Processes (1991), provided a valuable summary of this topic in the period just before the power of Arabidopsis genetics took over the field. On the other hand, the general reader is the target for his highly acclaimed introduction to plant physiological processes, Reacbing for the Sun (1997).
Finally, John King is one of those rare scientists who not only maintains an outstanding research program and enjoys transmitting his love of science to his students and the public, but also finds the time and energy to effectively serve his community on many levels. He has established an unrivaled reputation for commitment, reliability, and rigor: If he is given a task, everyone knows it will be done properly and on time. As a result, he has been asked to play numerous roles within the Canadian academic and research milieu: expert panels, departmental review committees, grant selection committee, editorial board, task forces, department chair, and group chair for life sciences within the NSERC system. Not the least of these has been his direct service to the CSPP over the years, including his role as president in 1983-84. In summary, plant physiologists in Canada have benefited from John King's energy, insight, and dedication to the discipline for three decades, and the committee considers him exceptionally well-qualified for recognition of these contributions through being awarded the Society Medal in 2001.