Rate My Professor Robert Wake

Wake's research specializations encompassed the physical biochemistry of the milk protein κ-casein and its enzymatic transformation by rennin, as well as the molecular biology of bacterial chromosome replication, with a primary focus on Bacillus subtilis. He made pioneering discoveries, including the first demonstration that the B. subtilis chromosome is circular—the second bacterium after Escherichia coli for which this was established—and that replication proceeds bidirectionally from a common origin via two replication forks. His work elucidated multi-forked chromosome replication, the replication terminus region, and control mechanisms through studies of sporulation and germination, revealing that septation can occur independently of chromosome termination. Additional contributions included early evidence for in vitro semi-conservative DNA replication and chromosomal concatamers in bacteriophage lambda. Wake received the Lemberg Medal and Oration from the Australian Biochemical Society in 1981 and was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1985. He held influential roles such as President of the Australian Biochemical Society (1984-1986), Member of the Australian Research Grants Committee (1979-1982), Vice-President of the Australian Academy of Science (1990-1993), and Chairman of the Scientific Programme Committee for the 7th Congress of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists (1992-1995).