PROFESSOR SIMON BAUMBERG; Bacterial Geneticist at Leeds

By Graham Parry

Simon Baumberg joined the Genetics Department at Leeds University shortly after its foundation in the mid-Sixties and spent almost the whole of his career there, retiring as Professor of Bacterial Genetics in 2005. He found the department a congenial base for his teaching and research, while the large biology community at Leeds provided him with stimulus and expertise that helped to advance his work.

He specialised in the investigation of the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria produce antibiotics in response to changes and stresses in their environment. This research has furthered the understanding of the genetics of bacteria, and it also has pharmaceutical implications.

Baumberg’s fascination with genetics began when he was an undergraduate at Merton College, Oxford, where he read Chemistry; it was developed in his doctorate at Oxford under the Nobel laureate C.S. Hinshelwood, and took decisive shape during a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

What Baumberg possessed to a quite exceptional degree was a broad curiosity about the molecular sciences and their social application, a trait that recommended him to the Medical Research Council, where he served on many committees and chaired the Advisory Board and from 2003 the Stem Cell Users Liaison Committee. His grasp of complex issues in fields far from his own specialisms, the lucidity of his presentations and the ethical decency of his judgement won him the admiration and respect of his colleagues on the MRC.

Simon Baumberg was born in London in 1940 to parents of a Polish- Jewish background. Perhaps because both his parents were immigrants, he retained something of an outsider’s view of English society, even though his education could hardly have been more mainstream. He attended St Paul’s School, and won a scholarship to Merton at the age of 16; he then took a year out to experience life in Israel. At Oxford, he met Ruth Geiger, who was reading Mathematics at Somerville. They were married in 1963 and, after two years in America, moved to Leeds in 1966.

As one of the outstanding figures in the British microbiology community, Simon Baumberg attracted many postgraduates, who benefited from his close personal instruction and his sustaining encouragement. Most of them went on to become part of a network of friends that stretched across many countries. He had two spells as Head of the Department of Genetics.

His range of interests was remarkably diverse. One could hardly mention a book he had not read, nor a work of music that he had not heard; almost always he had a comment or an insight that added something to one’s own enjoyment. The same was true of the visual arts: he looked at painting, sculpture and architecture with a shrewd and appreciative eye. His bookshelves were crowded with works of history and biography. His pleasure in the arts remained intense right until the end of his life: at our last meeting, he urged me to read more of the musical criticism of G.B. Shaw, and quoted me some passages from memory to show me what I could expect. He was certainly the best-informed scientist I have ever met, and the one most able to explain the significance of a subject to someone outside the field. His passion for knowledge was infectious and endearing.

Baumberg put his talents at the disposal of the Jewish community in Leeds, and on the wider scene he was active in the cause of oppressed Soviet Jews in the 1980s. The cause of Zionism, however, held no appeal for him, as his broad human sympathies did not warm to its ideology. He believed strongly in the virtue of communities for their ability to preserve shared values against the unwelcome pressures coming from governments and social trends. On the whole, he had a pessimistic view of human nature and social progress, a view coloured by the history of the 20th century and by events of recent years; but there was always hope in individuals, and the possibility that intelligence and fairness might prevail over ignorance and prejudice. The familiar wistful smile that so often concluded a discussion summed up this ambivalent outlook.

Whilst he was happy to talk about any subject, Simon was quite reticent about his personal feelings. One knew, however, that what mattered most to him was his family, Ruth and their three sons, Jeremy, Adam and Ben, whose progress gave him great pleasure and satisfaction.

Simon Baumberg, geneticist: born London 5 March 1940; Lecturer, Department of Genetics, Leeds University 1966-76, Senior Lecturer 1976-92, Reader 1992-96, Professor of Bacterial Genetics 1996-2005 (Emeritus); OBE 2005; married 1963 Ruth Geiger (three sons, and one son deceased); died Leeds 10 April 2007.

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