Background
Grierson, Donald was born on October 1, 1945 in Chipstead, Surrey, England. Son of John Harvey Grierson and Margaret Head.
plant geneticist educator and researcher
Grierson, Donald was born on October 1, 1945 in Chipstead, Surrey, England. Son of John Harvey Grierson and Margaret Head.
He graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Biological Sciences in 1967, after working for a short time in an industrial research lab, he obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science from the University of Edinburgh in 1972. He was a member of academic staff at University of Nottingham for over 40 years where he obtained a Doctor of Science degree in 1999.
He was the founding professor of the School of Biosciences before becoming Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research. Don Grierson discovered several plant genes and studied their role in tomato ripening. He also was the first to identify and characterise genes for Administrative Committee on Company-ordination oxidase (ACO) and demonstrated its role in the synthesis of the hormone ethylene.
He was involved in creating a genetically modified tomato in the 1990s which ripened more slowly, a tomato purée made from the tomatoes was the first genetically modified food to be sold in the United Kingdom. Don Grierson was elected fellow of the Institute of Biology in 1985, awarded a research medal by the Royal Agricultural Society of England for “outstanding research in agriculture” in 1990.
He is now an emeritus professor at Nottingham and also has a part-time position as Guang Biao professor at Zhejiang University.
Member council Innovation E. Midlands, Nottingham, 2005—2007, Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, 1994—2000, chairman council, 2000—2002. Member research assessment exercise Higher Education Funding Council, England, 1995—1996.
Married Elizabeth Carole Judson, July 31, 1965. Children: Ellen Kathryn, Michael Stuart, Claire Suzanne, David Harvey.