chemistry

Patricia H. Clarke

Patricia H. Clarke is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Patricia H. Clarke rather than just read about it. In short: Patricia Hannah Clarke FRS (née Green) (29 July 1919 – 28 January 2010) was a British biochemist. Education and early life Clarke was born in Pontypridd, South Wales, and was educated at Howell's School, Llandaff, from 1930 to 1937, before studying the Natural Sciences Tripos at Girton College, Cambridge, from 1937 to 1940.

Key takeaways

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Reproduce the core statement of Patricia H. Clarke from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Patricia Hannah Clarke FRS (née Green) (29 July 1919 – 28 January 2010) was a British biochemist.

Education and early life Clarke was born in Pontypridd, South Wales, and was educated at Howell's School, Llandaff, from 1930 to 1937, before studying the Natural Sciences Tripos at Girton College, Cambridge, from 1937 to 1940.

Career After graduating, she declined a postgraduate post working on aspects of ATP metabolism to contribute to the war effort, taking post at the Armament Research Department of the Ministry of Supply in Swansea to work on explosives. She returned to biochemistry in 1944 when she joined the Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories at Beckenham, Kent. In 1951, she moved to work part-time at the National Collection of Type Cultures of bacteria in the Central Public Health Laboratory at Colindale, London. She moved to the Department of Biochemistry at University College London, as Assistant Lecturer, being appointed Lecturer in 1956, Reader in 1966 and Professor of Microbial Biochemistry in 1973 until her retirement in 1984 – when she was made emeritus professor. During this time she co-wrote Genetics and Biochemistry of Pseudomonas. Her aim in this paper was to present in one volume the fundamentals, basic methodology, and specific applications of gas-liquid chromatography in microbiology and medicine. In addition to this, some of her papers include are Hydrogen Sulphide Production by Bacteria, An Inducible Amidase Produced by a Strain of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Biochemical Classification of Proteus and Providence Cultures and Butyramide-using Mutants of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa 8602 Which Produce an Amidase with Altered Substrate Specificity. Her major field of research was bacterial enzymes production and metabolism. In retirement, she held positions of responsibility with the Society for General Microbiology, the Biochemical Society, the Science Research Council, and the Freshwater Biological Association.

Awards and honours Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1976 and delivered their Leeuwenhoek Lecture in 1979. A. J. Klyver Lecturer, Dutch Society for Microbiology (1981) Marjory Stephenson Memorial Lecturer, Society for General Microbiology (1981) Vice-President of the Royal Society (1981-1982) Elected Fellow of the International Institute of Biotechnology (1986) Honorary doctorate, University of Kent (1988) Honorary doctorate, Council for National Academic Awards (1990) Elected Honorary Fellow of University College London (1996) Elected Honorary Member of the Society for General Microbiology (1997)

Committee Work Clarke was a great supporter of the Biochemical Society and the Society for General Microbiology (SGM) for their roles in education and fostering a scientific community. In 1974, she managed the production of a booklet, Careers in microbiology, which was published by the SGM to stimulate interest of microbiology in schools. In 1993, the she was one of six female members of the Committee of Women in Science and Technology commissioned by William Waldegrave. The committee's report, The rising tide, was published by the Cabinet office in 1994. The report drew attention to the areas adversely affecting recruitment and education of women in science; a lack of female role models in education, employers showing bad practice in ensuring opportunities for women and the poor approach to maternity leave.

Personal life In 1940, she married Michael Clarke; they had two children in 1947 and 1949. She died at University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff on 28 January 2010, aged 90 years.

Collections In 2002 Clarke donated her archive to University College London. The archive contains material relating to her own life and career (including publications, biographical items, and correspondence) and Clarke's advocacy for women in science.

External links Clarke Papers at University College London

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Patricia H. Clarke

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Patricia H. Clarke claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Patricia H. Clarke before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Patricia H. Clarke ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Patricia H. Clarke

In research: Patricia H. Clarke appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Patricia H. Clarke in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Patricia H. Clarke is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1919 births, 2010 deaths, 20th-century British women scientists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Patricia H. Clarke outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Patricia H. Clarke in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Patricia H. Clarke in simple terms?

Patricia Hannah Clarke FRS (née Green) (29 July 1919 – 28 January 2010) was a British biochemist. Education and early life Clarke was born in Pontypridd, South Wales, and was educated at Howell's School, Llandaff, from 1930 to 1937, before studying the Natural Sciences Tripos at Girton College, Cam…

Why does Patricia H. Clarke matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Patricia H. Clarke?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Patricia H. Clarke.