It was the personal observations that were never written down about the personalities and battles associated with these figures that Govindjee
could tell so well that is of great value historically. Finally, Govindjee has an amazing ability to remember scientific detail, know how people in the field fit together, and successfully MLN2238 in vivo mentor young people in science. Thomas D. Sharkey Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Govindjee as editor, a tribute on the occasion of his 80th birthday Much has been written about the contributions of Govindjee to understanding the intricacies of photosynthetic electron transport, but I would like to pay tribute to Govindjee as editor. While many have interacted with Govindjee as editor of one or another volume, I have had the privilege to work with Govindjee on the Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration—Including Bioenergy and Related Processes from volume 31 to plans for volumes that currently reach in the early 40s (Volume 37 Photosynthesis of Bryophytes and Early Land Selleck BI-6727 Plants edited by David T. Hanson and Steven K. Rice is in the proof stage, Volume 38 Microbial Bioenergy: Hydrogen Production, edited by Davide Zannoni and Roberto De Phillippis is in the submission stage in July 2013). Govindjee has been fascinated with photosynthesis
from very early schoolboy days in India. Coming to the hotbed of photosynthesis research at Illinois resulted in Govindjee working with many Selleck Momelotinib of those who made the fundamental discoveries and led to Govindjee’s own scientific contributions. Photosynthesis is a broad topic and Govindjee was impressed by the comprehensive treatment by Eugene Rabinowitch (http://archive.org/stream/photosynthesisre01rabi/photosynthesisre01rabi_djvu.txt). This treatment covered what was known up to 1956, but Rabinowitch admitted
that the project was much larger than he anticipated and that by 1956 any attempt to comprehensively cover photosynthesis most would be impossible in one or a few volumes. Govindjee joined Rabinowitch in publishing a general interest book to stimulate interest in photosynthesis (Rabinowitch and Govindjee 1969). But Govindjee wanted to put something in place that would chronicle the rapid advances being made in photosynthesis. Thus was born the series Advances in Photosynthesis. Over the years the title was expanded to Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration and then, responding to the interest in photosynthesis as the source of biologically derived energy, Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration—Including Bioenergy and Related Processes, a nod to the title of the Rabinowitch series Photosynthesis and Related Processes.