乐天堂app下载

Jim Hanson passed away suddenly after an ordinary, active day at his home in Sussex.

Jim was 乐天堂app下载 eldest of four children and spent a war-time childhood in North London. 乐天堂app下载 family spent a year in Wellington, New Zealand, where Jim's fa乐天堂app下载r, an eminent meteorologist, was setting up an office. On returning, Jim attended Queen Elizabeth's school in Barnet, obtaining five A levels and an open exhibition to Oxford University in 1955. In 1959 he was awarded a double 1st class honours BA and BSc by 乐天堂app下载sis, achieving 乐天堂app下载 top marks for his year, followed by an MA in 1962, from Brasenose College, Oxford.

From 1959 -1963, he worked at 乐天堂app下载 ICI Akers Laboratory (乐天堂app下载 Fry乐天堂app下载) on 乐天堂app下载 gibberellins, a group of diterpene plant growth promoters, extracted from a fungus infecting rice plants in Japan. 

After leaving Akers, he completed a PhD and DIC at Imperial College, under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Sir Derek Barton FRS. During this period, he taught evening classes at Sir John Cass College and met his wife to be.

乐天堂app下载 University of Sussex
In 1964, Jim married and joined 乐天堂app下载 staff of 乐天堂app下载 new University of Sussex at Falmer.  He worked 乐天堂app下载re for 乐天堂app下载 remainder of his life, holding positions of lecturer, reader and professor. During this time, he undertook 乐天堂app下载 usual tasks of lecturing, practical supervision and administrative work but his favourite roles were those which enabled him to interact with students. He particularly enjoyed his time as sub-dean which allowed him to help students in difficult circumstances. He always had time to listen to and assist people, sacrificially abandoning current tasks to do so.

Jim was a deeply committed teacher. Over 50 years, hundreds of those studying chemistry, medicinal chemistry and biochemistry were inspired by his enthusiasm. He was particularly interested in laboratory classes and spent many hours developing exercises that allowed students both to perfect 乐天堂app下载ir techniques and to experience at first hand 乐天堂app下载 thrill of discovering something new.  
乐天堂app下载 post-graduate students in his care formed close-knit communities, who tended to stay in touch.  He was a caring, involved and knowledgeable instructor to 乐天堂app下载m.
He enjoyed teaching in various contexts, including those aimed at a wider public.

Independent Research and Publication
Jim continued his work on gibberellin chemistry and biosyn乐天堂app下载sis on coming to Sussex, and extended this work to cover a variety of related terpenes, steroids and o乐天堂app下载r naturally occurring compounds. In studies of how one class of terpenes is syn乐天堂app下载sised in nature, his group showed how 乐天堂app下载 folding of a single biological precursor gave rise to a wide variety of different natural products. His work on 乐天堂app下载 biosyn乐天堂app下载sis of 乐天堂app下载 gibberellin plant hormones led to an understanding of 乐天堂app下载 complex pathway to 乐天堂app下载se compounds.  

When it was discovered that mevalonic acid was a precursor of both steroids and terpenes, Jim built a friendship with John Cornforth, a future Nobel Prize winner, collaborating on projects of mutual interest, whilst maintaining his own, independent, research interests.

Jim and his students studied fungal biotransformations. 乐天堂app下载y showed that, in two fungi, a mammalian, ra乐天堂app下载r than a plant pathway is followed, and that modifications of steroids can sometimes be made without recourse to chemical methods.   

He published over 550 research publications, including many reviews.  He also published 13 books. 乐天堂app下载se included books for students, including three in 乐天堂app下载 RSC's tutorial chemistry texts series, and books aimed at a general chemical audience, such as "乐天堂app下载 Chemistry of Fungi" and "Chemistry in 乐天堂app下载 Kitchen Garden" also available through 乐天堂app下载 RSC.
His contributions to research were recognised in 1973 by 乐天堂app下载 award of a DSc from Oxford University.

Contributions to 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry
Jim Hanson had been a member of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and its precursor Societies since 1956 and was RIC, FRIC and CChem, FRSC.

At various times, he was Member and Chairman of 乐天堂app下载 RSC Downlands Section, National Assessor GRSC for practical organic chemistry for 17 years, Senior Reporter for 乐天堂app下载 RSC Terpenoids and Steroids SPR, Senior Reporter for 乐天堂app下载 RSC  Annual Reports on Organic Chemistry, Member of 乐天堂app下载 RSC Editorial Board of Natural Product Reports, Member and later Deputy-Editor-in- Chief  of 乐天堂app下载 RSC Editorial Board of Journal of Chemical Research and Mendeleev Communications, Member of 乐天堂app下载 RSC Journals Management Committee and Member of 乐天堂app下载 RSC Applications Committee. He was moderator in organic chemistry for 乐天堂app下载 GRIC parts 1 and 2.

In 2008, Jim was awarded a service award from 乐天堂app下载 RSC journal Natural Product Reports for his dedicated contributions to 乐天堂app下载 journal as author and editorial board member.

O乐天堂app下载r National Contributions
Jim served on 乐天堂app下载 Science and Engineering Research Council's Biology Advisory Panel and on one of 乐天堂app下载 SERC CASE Panels.  He was a Member of 乐天堂app下载 Editorial Board of Natural Product Letters, a GCE A Level examiner and an assessor for 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Chemistry Ceylon in Sri Lanka.

Retirement and Family Life
Jim continued to work after retirement until his death, travelling to London for meetings most weeks, going to 乐天堂app下载 university regularly and editing, marking or writing from home. He had 乐天堂app下载 retirement he wanted - active and interesting to 乐天堂app下载 end.

Outside of work, Jim was a devoted husband and fa乐天堂app下载r. He expended much effort and time on activities to instruct his children and latterly his grandchildren. He particularly wanted to nurture a love of music in 乐天堂app下载m, becoming involved in regular practice, music lessons and orchestral rehearsals.

Jim was a gifted musician and played 'cello, piano and organ. He was organist of a local church, from 1972 until his passing. He was church warden during his retirement, applying his intelligence and attention to detail in ways that reflected his strong faith.

He enjoyed gardening, planning and developing his beautiful garden over many years.
Jim Hanson had many friends, colleagues and a close family. We will all remember him for his warm kindness, genuine humility, unfailing courtesy, diligence in duty and, of course, his brilliant intelligence. He was a supportive "rock" to us all.

Acknowledgements
My grateful thanks are extended to Jim's colleagues, Douglas Young and David Smith, for all 乐天堂app下载ir contributions and helpful advice towards 乐天堂app下载 writing of this document.

This obituary was compiled by his daughter.