Kinetic mechanism and enzyme function.

never visited America, and his two periods of sabbatical leave from Cambridge University were spent at the Molten0 Institute of Parasitology and at King’s College, respectively 100 and 400 metres from the Department of Biochemistry. In the years leading up to his official retirement in 1966, and in the years following, Malcolm Dixon continued to pursue research, usually, as had been his custom, carrying out all the stages himself. He had only had a personal laboratory assistant for five of his years of research, and had never had a secretary-all his writing being typed personally on an ancient but immaculate typewriter. His active Christianity and his interest in music (he is a most accomplished pianist) have provided him with a lifelong circle of friends. He is held in great esteem by several generations of biochemical students who have passed through Cambridge, by all those who have been his personal students or colleagues and by enzymologists throughout the world who may know him only through his published work. It is very pleasant to note that his eightieth year has been marked, not only by appropriate ceremonies, but also by the publication of the third edition of ‘Enzymes’, the work for which had occupied Malcolm Dixon for much of his, and the century’s, seventies.