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by Dr. S.T.W. Kirinde, Former Director, Department of Export Agriculture

The article by J.A.K. Jayakody (Daily News: 16-10-2002) bearing the title above enumerates the many honours and accolades formally bestowed on the late Professor Cyril Ponnamperuma in recognition of his outstanding achievements as a chemist.

Professor Cyril Ponnamperuma

In Sri Lanka nevertheless the Professor was not without detractors. Despite this, however, he has the unique distinction of being the only Sri Lankan scientist to find mention in "Asimov's Guide to Science, Vol 2: The Biological Sciences" (Isaac Asimov: Pelican Books, 1978). This is now merely a passing mention of the name, but a general summary (spread over two pages of this encyclopaedia publication) of his pioneering work on evolution of the chemicals that make up the "building blocks" of "life" as known today. Thus, in the context of this Guide, (which presumably is a respectable publication in spite of its author's well-known flamboyancy) Professor Ponnamperuma has secured a place among the most famous scientists of the world ranging from those of earliest times to the Nobel Laureates of today.

The limelight first fell on Professor Ponnamperuma in 1963 when he demonstrated the formation of the nucleic acid adenine (one of the "building blocks" referred to above) from simple chemicals such as methane, ammonia and hydrogen in atmospheric conditions he created in his laboratory that simulated those of the earth in its primordial state. Subsequently, together with science popularizer Carl Sagan, he formed adenosine, and ATP (the energy handling chemical of living tissue).

In 1965 similarly, he formed the more complex chemicals known as dinucleotides. (This writer remembers seeing in England around this time a BBC TV documentary of about 30 minutes on the Professor's work. This documentary was telecast twice in response to popular request).

Ponnamperuma's studies, and similar ones of others worldwide who adopted/adapted his techniques, suggested that the earth in primordial times had oceans of amino acids, the chemicals characteristic of living matter. Confirmation of this hypothesis came in 1970 when Ponnamperuma discovered traces of five amino acids (alanine, glycine, glutamic acid, proline, and valine) in a meteorite that had fallen in Australia in 1969.

The optical inactivity of these traces proved that they were not contaminants from earthly life processes, but the result of non-living chemical processes such as those that occurred in the laboratory under simulated primordial conditions.

Such studies as those of Professor Ponnamperuma, his colleagues, and others in the same field of research led to the generally accepted theory that life as we know it on earth today was preceded by an astronomic period of "chemical evolution". This took place in the earth's primordial atmosphere and oceans with the simple amino acids that arose at first evolving into more complex proteins and nucleic acids. And as Asimov has stated: "Then eventually, must have come the key step - the formation through chance combination, of a nucleic acid molecule capable of inducing replication. That moment marked the beginning of life".

Later in his career Professor Ponnamperuma was closely involved in the special programme known as CHEMRAWN (the acronym for Chemical Research Applied to World Needs) that the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry launched in 1975. CHEMRAWN had two phases, Phase I initiated in 1978 that looked at organic raw materials such as petroleum, and Phase II initiated in 1982, to look at world food supply in relation to increases in population.

As a member of the Committee of CHEMRAWN II, Professor Ponnamperuma was associated with Nobel Laureates De Melvin Calvin and Dr Norman Borlaug, and functioned as Chairman of its Future Actions Committee. In this capacity, and as Presidential Science Adviser (during the tenure of J.R. Jayewardene), he organized in January 1985, in collaboration with the Institute of Fundamental Studies, the historic first FAC Workshop at the Taj Samudra, Colombo. This workshop focused on the importance of chemical research in resolving food needs both locally and globally. In the panel of renowned scientists who addressed this workshop was Nobel Laureate Professor (Lord) George Porter, about whom Dr. R.O.B. Wijesekera, Chairman, NASTEC presented an appreciation recently (Daily News: 30.10.2002).

Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, most of those who attended the workshop were senior bureaucrats with little or no comprehension of the significance of chemical research for agricultural development. Thus many important scientific issues pertaining to agricultural research and development in Sri Lanka that were aired at the workshop probably just drifted away in the ocean breezes that caress the Taj Samudra.

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