John Anthony Pickett (born 21 April 1945) is a British chemist who is noted for his work on insect pheromones. Pickett is Professor of Biological Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University. He previously served as the Michael Elliott Distinguished Research Fellow at Rothamsted Research.
Education Pickett was educated at King Edward VII Grammar School, Coalville. He went on to study at the University of Surrey (formerly Battersea College of Technology) where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in honours chemistry in 1967 and PhD in 1971 under the supervision of Professor John Elvidge for research into compounds from dinitriles and hydrazine. He was awarded Doctor of Science (DSc) in 1993 by the University of Nottingham for his research into chemical ecology.
Career and research Following his PhD studies, Pickett began postdoctoral research at UMIST (the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, now the University of Manchester) in the laboratory of Professor Robert N. Haszeldine FRS in 1970, on the synthesis and photochemistry of perfluoroalkylpyridazines. In 1972, he started his career in biological chemistry researching the flavour active chemistry of hops and malt in the Chemistry Department of the Brewing Research Foundation, Redhill. In 1976 he joined the Insecticides and Fungicides Department (later the Department of Biological Chemistry) at Rothamsted Experimental Station (now Rothamsted Research) as Principal Scientific Officer leading and coordinating studies on semiochemical aspects of insect chemical ecology. He was appointed Head of Department in 1984 and, concurrently in 2007, Scientific Director of the Rothamsted Centre for Sustainable Pest and Disease Management. On his retirement from administrative positions in 2010, Pickett was awarded the first Michael Elliott Distinguished Research Fellow position at Rothamsted and returned to full time research in chemical ecology. In 2017, he joined the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University as Professor of Biological Chemistry, from where he leads and collaborates research extending from chemical ecology to other aspects of biological chemistry. Pickett has over 600 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and patents. His research specifically investigates the chemical identity of pheromones and other types of chemical signals (semiochemicals). Pickett led the first chemical characterizations, as novel molecular structures, of the sex related pheromones of insect vectors, of plant and human pathogens, including aphids, mosquitoes and sand flies. He leads new research into the biosynthetic routes to pheromones and other semiochemicals for practical exploitation. For sub-Saharan agriculture, semiochemicals are released from companion plants, including into the rhizosphere, for farm use particularly in collaboration with Professor Zeyaur R. Khan at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Kenya. He also contributes to the development of semiochemicals by molecular biological techniques and led the first field experiments expressing an insect pheromone in a crop, wheat, for potential defence against insect pests. Now, he is developing new research objectives for management of vectors of human pathogens particularly haematophagous (blood feeding) insects and the study of volatile chemical signalling from their human and farm animal hosts. With new collaborators in chemistry and insect neurophysiology at Cardiff University, he is investigating novel molecular interactions for reducing emissions, and the capture, of greenhouse gases.
Awards and honours Pickett has had a long association with the University of Nottingham and is an honorary professor (1991) quod reliquum est vitae, with associated lecturing and current collaborative research. Other scientific collaborations and lecturing have resulted in further awards including honorary doctorates and professorships:
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