A note on the career of Donald J Winzor

Don Winzor has made a remarkable and sustained contribution to physical biochemistry over a lifetime of research. In “Six decades of research in physical biochemistry” (Winzor 2016), he provides an understated description of that journey. The underlying characteristic that shines through is the importance of analysing complex systems of thermodynamic equilibria and kinetics from first principles. This ‘brand’ of physical biochemistry was pioneered in Australia in the laboratories of Doj Jordan, Mike Creeth, Sandy Ogston, Laurie Nichol and, of course, Don Winzor, but Don’s contributions stand out in terms of the breadth and variety of applications: self-associating systems, frontal analysis and affinity chromatography, polyvalent ligand-acceptor systems and thermodynamic non-ideality. The rigour and quality has remained there all the way through this illustrious career and even extending into post-retirement years. It is fitting that a festschrift acknowledges this impressive contribution.