Sir David Allan (Dai) Rees. 28 April 1936—10 June 2021

Abstract

Dai Rees was a carbohydrate chemist, who made major contributions to our understanding of the structure and function of naturally occurring polysaccharides. During his time at the University of Edinburgh he was the first to identify the self-association of polysaccharides from red algae such as agarose and the carrageenans into ordered double helical structures. This understanding of polysaccharide structure and functionality achieved in Edinburgh was of interest to carbohydrate chemists and the industries where these materials are widely used, such as foods and pharmaceuticals. Throughout the 1970s, Dai worked in the Unilever Colworth House laboratory as principal scientist. He continued his studies of polysaccharide structure and function, but also led fundamental research in emerging sciences of corporate interest to Unilever's long-term business future. Dai believed that high quality science was the source of uniqueness in innovation and technology. He identified that problems in research require a multidisciplinary approach, and at Colworth House he organized smaller projects into research themes, allowing faster development of both understanding and application. This philosophy was practised throughout his management career. He became director of the National Institute for Medical Research in 1982, and from 1987 to 1996 was the chief executive of the Medical Research Council. At the same time, he was a senior advisor to the UK National Technology Foresight exercise and president of the European Science Foundation. After retirement, he was instrumental in establishing the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products at the University of York, funded by the Garfield Weston Foundation.