Peter Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Peter Anthony Lawrence FRS (born 23 June 1941) is a British
developmental biologist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology
and the Zoology Department of the University of Cambridge
. He was a staff scientist of the Medical Research Council
from 1969 to 2006.
in Wetherby
, and then at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
on a Harkness Fellowship; he gained his doctorate as a student of Vincent Wigglesworth
. He married Birgitta Haraldson in 1971; his wife is a clinical psychologist and expert on the autism spectrum. He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization
, a Fellow of the Royal Society, was awarded the Darwin Medal, a recipient of the Prince of Asturias Prize for scientific research and was elected a Foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
in 2000.
develop according to their local concentration of the morphogen and that this mechanism is used to generate patterns of cells. Together with Ginés Morata, he has helped establish the compartment theory first proposed by Antonio Garcia-Bellido. In this hypothesis, a set of cells collectively builds a territory (or "compartment
"), and only that territory, in the animal. As development proceeds, a "selector gene
" switches on in a subset of this clone of cells, and the clone becomes divided into two sets of cells that construct two adjacent compartments. Much of the evidence for the theory comes from studies on the Drosophila
fly wing.
For the last ten years he has been working, in collaboration with Gary Struhl on the development of the adult abdomen of Drosophila
, with the aim of understanding the design and construction of the epidermal patterns, particularly planar polarity and cell affinity.
discovered two booksellers were programatically setting increasingly higher prices for copies of the book on Amazon.com
's used book market. The sellers eventually priced copies over $23 million before the feedback loop
was broken.
Lawrence also edits the journal Development. He has written commentaries on the ethics of science practice, and collaborated with Mark Bretscher
on the obituary of Francis Crick
published in Current Biology
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
developmental biologist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
The Laboratory of Molecular Biology is a research institute in Cambridge, England, which was at the forefront of the revolution in molecular biology which occurred in the 1950–60s, since then it remains a major medical research laboratory with a much broader focus.-Early beginnings: 1947-61:Max...
and the Zoology Department of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He was a staff scientist of the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
from 1969 to 2006.
Career
Lawrence was educated at Wennington SchoolWennington School
Wennington School, founded by the Quaker educationalist Kenneth C. Barnes, was a co-educational and ultimately progressive boarding school.It was originally founded in 1940 in Lunesdale, Lancashire. Early governors included Alfred Schweitzer and John Macmurray...
in Wetherby
Wetherby
Wetherby is a market town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Wharfe, and has been for centuries a crossing place and staging post on the Great North Road, being mid-way between London and Edinburgh...
, and then at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St Catharine's College, Cambridge
St. Catharine’s College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473, the college is often referred to informally by the nickname "Catz".-History:...
on a Harkness Fellowship; he gained his doctorate as a student of Vincent Wigglesworth
Vincent Wigglesworth
Sir Vincent Brian Wigglesworth FRS was a British entomologist who made significant contributions to the field of insect physiology.In particular, he studied metamorphosis...
. He married Birgitta Haraldson in 1971; his wife is a clinical psychologist and expert on the autism spectrum. He is a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization
European Molecular Biology Organization
EMBO stands for excellence in the life sciences. The EMBO mission is to enable the best science by supporting talented researchers, stimulating scientific exchange and advancing policies for a world-class European research environment....
, a Fellow of the Royal Society, was awarded the Darwin Medal, a recipient of the Prince of Asturias Prize for scientific research and was elected a Foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
in 2000.
Discoveries
Lawrence's main discoveries lie in trying to understand what type of information is required to shape an animal and generate a pattern (such as on a butterfly wing or a fingerprint). He is the principal advocate of the idea that cells in a gradient of a morphogenMorphogen
A morphogen is a substance governing the pattern of tissue development, and the positions of the various specialized cell types within a tissue...
develop according to their local concentration of the morphogen and that this mechanism is used to generate patterns of cells. Together with Ginés Morata, he has helped establish the compartment theory first proposed by Antonio Garcia-Bellido. In this hypothesis, a set of cells collectively builds a territory (or "compartment
Compartments
Compartments can be simply defined as separate, different, adjacent cell populations, which upon juxtaposition, create a lineage boundary. This boundary prevents cell movement from cells from different lineages across this barrier, restricting them to their compartment...
"), and only that territory, in the animal. As development proceeds, a "selector gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
" switches on in a subset of this clone of cells, and the clone becomes divided into two sets of cells that construct two adjacent compartments. Much of the evidence for the theory comes from studies on the Drosophila
Drosophila
Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...
fly wing.
For the last ten years he has been working, in collaboration with Gary Struhl on the development of the adult abdomen of Drosophila
Drosophila
Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...
, with the aim of understanding the design and construction of the epidermal patterns, particularly planar polarity and cell affinity.
Publications
Lawrence wrote The Making of a Fly in 1992, which explains how the body plans of flies and higher animals, like humans, are constructed. The book received recognition in April 2011 when fellow biologist Michael EisenMichael Eisen
Michael Eisen is an American biologist. He is currently an Investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics and Development at University of California, Berkeley...
discovered two booksellers were programatically setting increasingly higher prices for copies of the book on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's used book market. The sellers eventually priced copies over $23 million before the feedback loop
Feedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
was broken.
Lawrence also edits the journal Development. He has written commentaries on the ethics of science practice, and collaborated with Mark Bretscher
Mark Bretscher
Mark Bretscher is a British biological scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society. He works at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, United Kingdom...
on the obituary of Francis Crick
Francis Crick
Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson...
published in Current Biology
Current Biology
Current Biology is a scientific journal that covers all areas of biology, especially molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, neurobiology, ecology and evolutionary biology. The journal is published twice a month and includes peer-reviewed research articles, various types of review articles, as...
.
External links
- http://www.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/PAL/NewFiles/PAListFrames.html Review of "Francis Crick: Hunter of Life's Secrets" by Robert Olby (published 2009) in 'Current Biology'.