My father, Michael Goodfellow, who has died aged 83, was a world authority on Actinobacteria, an important group of microbes valued for their antibiotic-producing capacity.
A global collaborator, Mike was granted numerous international awards for his significant contributions on the use of Actinobacteria in biotechnology, especially in the discovery of new drugs. He was also recognised with the naming of the bacterial genus Goodfellowiella.
He chaired national and international organisations, including the trust that oversees the publication of Bergey’s Manual, an international resource on the classification and identification of bacteria, and was a founding member of Bergey’s International Society for Microbial Systematics.
Mike began his academic career as a postdoctoral fellow at Penn State University in the US (1966-67), then fulfilled a similar role at the University of Leicester (1967-1969). In 1969 he joined the University of Newcastle as a lecturer in microbiology, and remained there until his death, promoted to senior lecturer, reader, and then professor in microbial systematics, and also heading the school of biology from 2005 until 2008.
Born in Ecclefechan, Dumfries and Galloway, to Mary (nee Wilson), a shirt machinist, and Edwin Goodfellow, a door-to-door salesman, Mike had a difficult childhood after his mother died when he was three. He grew up in Carlisle, attending Carlisle grammar school before studying botany at the University of Liverpool, where he also completed a PhD in microbiology.
After joining Penn State University straight after graduation, he returned to Liverpool for a short spell as a teacher at the Prince Rupert secondary modern girls school before joining Leicester University.
In 1983 he married Punita Tanna and they had two children, my sister Maya and me. Despite his own isolated upbringing, Mike filled ours with joy, and he was endlessly caring, wryly funny and always supportive.
A socialist, internationalist and a deeply political thinker, he was instrumental in setting up the Socialist Environment and Resources Association and was a Labour party member from the age of 18 until he resigned his membership a few days before he died, in protest of the party’s direction of travel.
He was a voracious reader, and even the briefest conversation with him would highlight that there were few subjects he didn’t know something about. But he wore his knowledge lightly and was always curious about the views of others.
Staunchly opposed to private schools, he served as chair of governors at Gosforth high school for nearly 40 years and in his spare time followed the fortunes of Liverpool FC, having supported them since his university days.
Mike is survived by Punita, Maya and me.
