Dear Editor,
Geoff provided great support for purinergic research in China, particularly for the role of ATP in acupuncture. The following poems were written in his honour and presented when he attended conferences in 2012, 2017 and 2018 and on his death in 2020.
1. 2012: To Geoff
83 years ago, 1929
ATP was discovered, and Geoff was born;
83 years later, 2012
Both Geoff and ATP come to China;
More energy, more power, and more purinergic signalling
have arrived here;
It is fate that brings us to meet together;
It is purinergic signaling, pain and acupuncture that proposes a bright future;
It is new direction that let us work as a team in future;
Purine Club, Special issue, project, conference, tour, …
Thank you Geoff,
Thank you ATP,
Looking forward to meeting you again,
very soon and somewhere.
Yong,
Chengdu, China
October 15, 2012
2. 2017: To Prof. Geoffrey Burnstock
September 26,2017 Leipzig
Title: ATP is going on
Every day in my work I see you, I feel you and that is how I know you
Before you cross the membrane and spaces between the cells I always remember you
ATP and your receptors
Near, far, wherever you are
When you bind to the receptors
I believe that you will go far
Illness can touch us one time or last for a lifetime
But we can find the way to let it go
Because we have caught you
You are here; you are there
And you are everywhere
There is nothing to fear
We believe in that
You will fight together with us
Forever with us
ATP is going on
ATP is going on
And ATP will go on and on…
Written by Lumei Huang and Yong Tang
3. 2018: To Prof. Geoffrey BurnstocK
October 11,2018 Chengdu
Title: Geoff and ATP
ATP is you
Geoff is me
We born same year
We always working together
I make you growing up
You give me power
Everywhere in the world
In the science everywhere
Come on ATP
Come on Geoff
We love each other
Australia, London even in china
Forever, forever and forever...
----Written by Yong Tang
4. 2020: To Prof. Geoffrey Burnstock
June 13, 2020 Chengdu
Title: Father of Purinergic Signalling
ONE NINE TWO NINE(1929),
ATP was born,
Geoff came into being;
They both grew up and up,
They both work up and up,
They both live up and up,
They both did not go far…
ONE NINE SEVEN TWO(1972),
Purinergic signalling proposed,
The Father is Geoff;
They both work together,
They both live together,
They both love each other,
They both did not separate anymore…
TWO ZERO TWO ZERO(2020),
ATP spread across the world,
And Geoff sleep little bit more;
You both did not pause,
You both did not stop,
You both did not retire,
You both still guide us double time…
Years and years,
ATP is missed,
Geoff is remembered;
Whoever we are,
Wherever we are,
Whenever we are,
You both will not be forgotten…
Your soul, your mind, and your idea,
Make purine community forward,
Powerful, fruitful, and successful;
Your speech, your comment and your insight,
Make ATP story forward,
Colorful, graceful, and wonderful…
You are Geoff,
The father of Purinergic Signalling…
ATP you are,
The father of Purinergic Signalling…
Geoff and ATP,
You both live forever in our heart…
----Written by Yong Tang
Declarations
Ethical approval
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Conflicts of interest
Lumei Huang declares that she has no conflict of interest. Yong Tang declares that he/she has no conflict of interest.
Footnotes
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Contributor Information
Lumei Huang, Email: lumei.huang@koki.mta.hu.
Yong Tang, Email: tangyong@cdutcm.edu.cn.