[RASMB] Joachim Behlke

[Arthur Rowe]

Dear Holger & Helmut (and all in RASMB)

It was with great sadness that I have just heard the news of the death  
of Joachim Behlke. He was indeed a scientist who illuminated our field  
with – as you indicate - the depth and catholicity of his interests.  
But above all he was a really lovely man, always ready with a friendly  
gesture, always as happy to take an interest in your work as in his  
own.  Together with Steve Harding and the vice-Chancellor of Leicester  
University, I had the privilege of welcoming Joachim to Leicester  
University, on what I think was his first visit after becoming free to  
travel. There he gave us, our colleagues and students, a fascinating  
talk, delivered with ease and aplomb. It was hard to believe that this  
was his first talk ever delivered in English in the Anglophone world –  
how indicative of the width of his talents. We will miss him very much  
indeed, and all our thoughts and sympathies are with his family.

Arthur

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Arthur J Rowe
Professor of Biomolecular Technology / Director NCMH Business Centre
School of Biosciences
University of Nottingham
Sutton Bonington
Leics LE12 5RD

TEL:  0115 9516156
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On Apr 14, 2011, at 20:35, HGSR (Holger Martin Strauss) wrote:

> Dear all,
>  
> it is with great sorrow that we have learned of the death of our  
> esteemed colleague, Joachim Behlke, ending a scientific career that  
> has been connected to the analytical ultracentrifuge for more than 40  
> years. Joachim has written or contributed to over 160 publications,  
> covering, amongst others, protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid  
> interactions, crystallisation theory, thermodynamic non-ideality as  
> well as theoretical aspects of data analysis, where he applied  
> statistical thermodynamics to sedimentation equilibrium data and  
> developed analytical, approximate solutions to the Lamm-equation. He  
> was the organiser of the 9th international AUC-symposium in  
> Berlin/Buch and a regular attendee of these meetings, ever since the  
> fall of the wall. In recognition of his achievements, Joachim has been  
> awarded the Svedberg-medal at the AUC-conference in Uppsalla in 2009.  
> One could discuss essentially any AUC-topic with Joachim, only to find  
> out that he had already worked on it – 10, 20 or more years ago,  
> testimony to the width and breadth of his scientific thinking.
>  
> Born on the 19th of October 1934 in Biesental, close to Berlin, he  
> studied chemistry in Greifswald between 1954-1960 where he also  
> obtained his PhD-degree in 1964. He then joined the “Zentralinstitut  
> für Molekularbiologie” in Berlin/Buch in 1971, one of the most  
> prestigious and internationally respected research institutions of the  
> former GDR. After the fall of the wall, Joachim continued his career  
> at the Humboldt-University of Berlin and the Max-Delbrück-Centre (MDC)  
> in Berlin/Buch. He went on to work there after his emeritation in 1999  
> and has advised students and co-operators until shortly before his  
> death on the 5th of april 2011.
>  
> As a collegue, I always enjoyed to discuss even the most hidden  
> details of a sedimentation data analysis over a coffee or beer with  
> Joachim. We will miss you and your insights.
>  
> Being a young graduate student eager to learn the details of AUC from  
> Joachim, instead of being taken by the hand and lead the easy way, I  
> was confronted with his statement that “you know, every protein is  
> different”. Words of wisdom, indeed.
>  
> Helmut Cölfen and Holger Strauss
>  
>  _______________________________________________
> RASMB mailing list
> RASMB at rasmb.bbri.org
> http://rasmb.bbri.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/rasmb
>
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Arthur J Rowe
Professor of Biomolecular Technology / Director NCMH Business Centre
School of Biosciences
University of Nottingham
Sutton Bonington
Leics LE12 5RD

TEL:  0115 9516156
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