Charles Leonard Huskins
Encyclopedia
Charles Leonard Huskins was an English-born Canadian geneticist
who specialized in the field of cytogenetics
. He is also sometimes referred to as C. Leonard Huskins or C.L. Huskins.
Huskins was born in Walsall
, England
and moved with his family at the age of 9 to Red Deer
, Alberta
, Canada
. He served in the Canadian Infantry and as an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps
(which became the RAF) in World War I
.
After the war Huskins returned to Canada and enrolled in the University of Alberta
from which he received his Bachelor's degree
in 1923 and his Master's degree
in 1925. With the aid of a scholarship for graduate study abroad, he went to England where he obtained his Ph.D.
from King's College London
in 1927. Huskins stayed on in England from 1927 to 1930 to do research with the renowned geneticist William Bateson
at what is now the John Innes Centre
.
In 1930 Huskins returned to Canada to teach at McGill University
in Montreal
. He taught initially (1930-1934) in the Department of Botany
and then (1934-1945) as Professor in the Department of Genetics
, the first head of a Department of Genetics in Canada. In 1945 he left McGill for the University of Wisconsin–Madison
where he was Professor of Botany until his death. In 1942-1943 Huskins spent a year at Columbia University
on a Guggenheim Fellowship
he was awarded "to prepare a book on the cytology and genetics of plants, animals and man." Except for that year, he spent essentially all of his career at McGill and Wisconsin.
Huskins worked at first on mutation
s in oats and wheat. At the Innes Centre he studied a species of the grass Spartina (cordgrass) and showed that a suspected hybrid had undergone chromosome doubling in the course of evolution, one of the first demonstrations of this phenomenon. He then went on to do research on chromosome synapsis
and crossing-over in higher plants, grasshoppers and mice. Huskins and F. M. Hearne published the first studies on the cytology
of the grasshopper in 1935 and in 1936 they published on animal cytology (on chiasma
frequencies in mice).
The Genetics Society of Canada established the Huskins Memorial Lecture in his honor and there is the C. Leonard Huskins Professor of Botany at University of Wisconsin–Madison
.
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
who specialized in the field of cytogenetics
Cytogenetics
Cytogenetics is a branch of genetics that is concerned with the study of the structure and function of the cell, especially the chromosomes. It includes routine analysis of G-Banded chromosomes, other cytogenetic banding techniques, as well as molecular cytogenetics such as fluorescent in situ...
. He is also sometimes referred to as C. Leonard Huskins or C.L. Huskins.
Huskins was born in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and moved with his family at the age of 9 to Red Deer
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Canadian Infantry and as an aviator in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(which became the RAF) in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
After the war Huskins returned to Canada and enrolled in the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
from which he received his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1923 and his Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1925. With the aid of a scholarship for graduate study abroad, he went to England where he obtained his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
in 1927. Huskins stayed on in England from 1927 to 1930 to do research with the renowned geneticist William Bateson
William Bateson
William Bateson was an English geneticist and a Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge...
at what is now the John Innes Centre
John Innes Centre
The John Innes Centre located in Norwich, Norfolk, England is an independent centre for research and training in plant and microbial science...
.
In 1930 Huskins returned to Canada to teach at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. He taught initially (1930-1934) in the Department of Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and then (1934-1945) as Professor in the Department of Genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, the first head of a Department of Genetics in Canada. In 1945 he left McGill for the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
where he was Professor of Botany until his death. In 1942-1943 Huskins spent a year at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
on a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
he was awarded "to prepare a book on the cytology and genetics of plants, animals and man." Except for that year, he spent essentially all of his career at McGill and Wisconsin.
Huskins worked at first on mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s in oats and wheat. At the Innes Centre he studied a species of the grass Spartina (cordgrass) and showed that a suspected hybrid had undergone chromosome doubling in the course of evolution, one of the first demonstrations of this phenomenon. He then went on to do research on chromosome synapsis
Synapsis
Synapsis is the pairing of two homologous chromosomes that occurs during meiosis. It allows matching-up of homologous pairs prior to their segregation, and possible chromosomal crossover between them. Synapsis takes place during prophase I. When homologous chromosomes synapse, their ends are...
and crossing-over in higher plants, grasshoppers and mice. Huskins and F. M. Hearne published the first studies on the cytology
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
of the grasshopper in 1935 and in 1936 they published on animal cytology (on chiasma
Chiasma (genetics)
A chiasma , in genetics, is thought to be the point where two homologous non-sister chromatids exchange genetic material during chromosomal crossover during meiosis...
frequencies in mice).
The Genetics Society of Canada established the Huskins Memorial Lecture in his honor and there is the C. Leonard Huskins Professor of Botany at University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
.
External links
- Charles Leonard Huskins: 1897-1953, an obituary and appreciation written by Arnold H. Sparrow and published in ScienceScienceScience is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
magazine on March 5, 1954 in vol 119, pages 306-307 - The History of the Genetics Society of Canada by B. Grant, published in The Genetics Society of Canada Bulletin 32:6, 2001
- Time Magazine article on Guggenheim Fellows, April 13, 1942