Rex Malcolm Chaplin Dawson. 3 June 1924—29 March 2021

Abstract

Rex Dawson was a biochemist whose research interests were wide and many, but almost all of them focused on phospholipids. He was fascinated by their metabolism; by the metabolism of their catabolites; by their structure and how this impacted on the phospholipases that degrade them; by the way in which cells synthesize and transport them; by how one group of phospholipids, the phosphoinositides, contribute to cell function; by how rumen bacteria saturate the fatty acids that are part of phospholipids and how these bacteria use remarkable tricks of lipid biochemistry to maintain their membrane integrity. To all these aspects, and others, he made fundamental contributions to our knowledge that, taken together, transformed the way we understand how phospholipids govern membrane biology. As publications secretary to the Biochemical Society he helped the society through a critical time of its existence. He never ran a large research group, preferring to work with his faithful technicians and one or two visitors or students at a time. Most who met him found his quiet and modest demeanour hid an insatiable curiosity and enthusiasm for science; those who really knew his work stood in awe of his achievements.