RIP Michael Ashburner, 1942-2023. This Q&A in Current Biology from 2006 outlines his career and achievements. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(06)02317-7.pdf
@franknorman so many memories of the year I was taught by Mike. I owe my career to him. I was offered two PhDs. One on London doing test cell cycle, and one at the Sanger. Mike took me aside, up on to the roof of the genetics department, where he had his secret smoking spot, and gave me a good taking to. Telling me that genomics and bioinformatics was the future and of course I should go to the Sanger.
@franknorman There was a tradition of the students in the dept doing pantos, and in my year we did Jack and the genetically modified bean stalk, where the Giant was someone pretending to be Mike, smoking 3 cigarettes at once and swearing every second word.
@IanSudbery 😃