Frank William Ernest Gibson 1923-2008

Frank Gibson died in Canberra on 11 July 2008. Frank was a highly distinguished research scientist who will be remembered for his pioneering studies in identifying the branch-point compound in the pathway of biosynthesis of a large number of important aromatic compounds followed by a detailed biochemical and genetic analysis of many of the pathways leading to the aromatic amino acids and the so-called aromatic vitamins. Studies on ubiquinone synthesis and function led to an examination of oxidative phosphorylation and the structure and function of the F₁F₀-ATPase in the bacterium Escherichia coli. This work resulted in the formulation of a highly innovative model, involving rotating subunits of the F₀ segment within the membrane and offering an explanation for the mechanism linking proton flow and ATP synthesis