Margaret Jope (1913–2004) was a Scottish

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

, born Henrietta Margaret Halliday in

Peterhead Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...

, Scotland. She carried out research into

brachiopod Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of trochozoan animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, w ...

Biography

She took her degree in

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

, and her

DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

Somerville College, Oxford Somerville College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. Among its alumnae have been Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Dorothy Hodgkin, Ir ...

. She met her future husband

Martyn Jope Edward Martyn Jope (28 December 1915 – 14 November 1996) was an English archaeologist and chemist. He worked temporarily during the Second World War as a biochemist. Following the war, he returned to working in archaeology, first as ...

while working at the

Dyson Perrins Laboratory The Dyson Perrins Laboratory is in the science area of the University of Oxford and was the main centre for research into organic chemistry of the University from its foundation in 1916 until its closure as a research laboratory in 2003. Until 2 ...

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. After their marriage she accompanied him to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, where he later became Professor of

Archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

at Queen's University. Margaret continued her research while at Belfast, in the

Geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...

Department, where she worked primarily on

s, especially on their shell

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

. Her other research interests included the crystallisation of

haemoglobin Hemoglobin (haemoglobin BrE) (from the Greek word αἷμα, ''haîma'' 'blood' + Latin ''globus'' 'ball, sphere' + ''-in'') (), abbreviated Hb or Hgb, is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in red blood cells (erythrocyte ...

, and working with Martyn, made studies of animal bones, especially

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

bones, at archaeological sites mainly in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

and

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

Papers on brachiopods

* H M Jope, "Composition of Brachiopod Shell", "Treatise on Invertebrate Palaeontology", ed. R C Moore, ''Brachiopoda'', vol H, University of Kansas Press?, 1965, p H156–H164. * H M Jope, "The Protein of Brachiopod Shell I: Amino acid composition and implied protein taxonomy", ''Comp. Biochem. Physiol.'', 20 (1967), p 593–600. * H M Jope, "The protein of Brachiopod Shell II: Shell protein from fossil articulates: amino acid composition", ''Comp. Biochem. Physiol.'', 20 (1967), p 601–605. * H M Jope, "The Protein of Brachiopod Shell III: Comparison with structural protein of soft tissue", ''Comp. Biochem. Physiol.'', 30 (1969), p 209–224. * H M Jope, "The Protein of Brachiopod Shell IV: Shell protein from fossil inarticulates: amino acid composition and Disc Electrophoresis of fossil articulate shell protein", ''Comp. Biochem. Physiol.'', 30 (1969), p 225–232. * H M Jope, "Constituents of Brachiopod Shells", ''Comprehensive Biochemistry'', ed. M Florkin and E H Stotz, 26C (1971), p 749–784. * H M Jope, "The Protein of Brachiopod Shell V: N-terminal End Groups", ''Comp. Biochem. Physiol.'', 45B (1973), p 17–24. * H M Jope, "Brachiopod Shell Proteins: Their functions and taxonomic significance", ''American Zoology'', 17 (1977), p 133–140. * H M Jope, "The Protein of Brachiopod Shell VI: C Terminal end groups and sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis: molecular constitution and structure of the protein", ''Comp. Biochem. Physiol.'', 63B (1979), p 163–173. * H M Jope, "Phylogenetic Information derivable from Fossil Brachiopods", ''Biogeochemistry of Amino Acids'', ed. P E Hare, Wiley, 1980, p 83–94. * H M Jope, "Evolution of Brachiopods: The Molecular Approach", ''Les Brachiopoda, Fossils et Actuels'', ed. P R Racheboeuf and C C Emig, Brest, 1985, p 103–111.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jope, Margaret 1913 births 2004 deaths Scottish biochemists Alumni of the University of Aberdeen People from Peterhead Scottish women scientists Women biochemists 20th-century British women scientists Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford Scottish women academics