Research interests and publications
After working for some years in the general area of chloroplast biochemistry and molecular biology -
[Selected publications:
The deoxyribonucleic acid of broad bean chloroplasts. J.T.O. Kirk (1963). Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 76, 417-424.
DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in chloroplast preparations. J.T.O. Kirk (1964). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 14, 393-397.
Studies on RNA synthesis in chloroplast preparations. J.T.O. Kirk (1964). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 16, 233-238.
Effect of methylation of cytosine residues on the buoyant density of DNA in caesium chloride solution. J.T.O. Kirk (1967). J. Molec. Biol. 28, 171-172.
Determination of the base composition of deoxyribonucleic acid by measurement of the adenine/guanine ratio. J.T.O. Kirk (1967). Biochem. J. 105, 673-677.
The Plastids: their Chemistry, Structure, Growth and Inheritance. J.T.O. Kirk & R.A.E. Tilney-Bassett (1967). 1st Ed. W.H. Freeman & Co.: London & San Francisco. 608 pp. 2nd Ed. (1978). Elsevier: Amsterdam. 960 pp.
The base composition of DNA from chloroplasts and nuclei of Phaseolus vulgaris. R. Baxter & J.T.O. Kirk (1969). Nature. 226, 272-273.
The discovery of chloroplast DNA. J.T.O. Kirk (1986). BioEssays 4, 36-38. (this short historical essay on the somewhat unusual course of events surrounding the demonstration that chloroplasts contain their own DNA is attached as a pdf file - BioEssays.pdf)]
and as well as carrying out some biochemical plant breeding
[1-cyano-3,4-epithiobutane: a major product of glucosinolate hydrolysis in seeds from certain varieties of Brassica campestris. J.T.O. Kirk & C.G. Macdonald (1974). Phytochem. 13, 2611-2615.
Mustards as possible oil and protein crops for Australia. J.T.O. Kirk & R.N. Oram (1978). J. Aust. Inst. Agric. Sci. 44, 143-156.
Isolation of erucic acid-free lines of Brassica juncea: Indian mustard now a potential oilseed crop in Australia. J.T.O. Kirk & R.N. Oram (1981). J. Aust. Inst. Agric. Sci. 47, 51-52.
Variation and inheritance of erucic acid content in Brassica juncea. J.T.O. Kirk & C.J. Hurlstone (1983). Z. Pflanzenzucht. 90, 331-338.]
and viticultural climatology
[Application of a revised temperature summation system to Australian viticultural regions. J.T.O. Kirk (1986). Aust. Grapegrower & Winemaker. No. 268, 4-52.
Temperature summation - time for a revision? J.T.O. Kirk (1987). Practical Winery. 8, 85-94.
Mapping of grapevine growing season temperature summation. J.T.O. Kirk & M.F. Hutchinson (1994). Australian & New Zealand Wine Industry Journal. 9, 247-251.]
- I turned my attention, shortly after coming to Australia, to the underwater light field in marine and inland waters, particularly as a limiting factor in photosynthetic primary production in all aquatic ecosystems. Selected publications in this area of research are -
A theoretical analysis of the contribution of algal cells to the attenuation of light in natural waters. I. General treatment of suspensions of pigmented cells. J.T.O. Kirk (1975). New Phytologist. 75,11-20. II. Spherical cells. J.T.O. Kirk (1975). New Phytologist. 75, 21-36. III. Cylindrical and spheroidal cells. J.T.O. Kirk (1976). 77, 341-358.
Spectral absorption properties of natural waters: contribution of the soluble and particulate fractions to light absorption in some inland waters of southeastern Australia. J.T.O. Kirk (1980). Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 31, 287-296.
A Monte Carlo study of the nature of the light field in, and the relationship between optical properties of, turbid yellow waters. J.T.O. Kirk (1981). Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 32, 517-532.
Light and Photosynthesis in Aquatic Ecosystems. J.T.O. Kirk (1983). 1st Ed. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. 401 pp. 2nd Ed. (1994). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. 509 pp.
Dependence of relationship between inherent and apparent optical properties of water on solar altitude. J.T.O. Kirk (1984). Limnol. Oceanogr. 29, 350-356.
Study of the spectral variation of absorption and scattering in some Australian coastal waters. D.M. Phillips & J.T.O. Kirk (1984). Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 35, 635-644.
Solar heating of water bodies as influenced by their inherent optical properties. J.T.O. Kirk (1988). J. Geophys. Res. 93, 10897-10908.
The upwelling light stream in natural waters. J.T.O. Kirk (1989). Limnol. Oceanogr. 34, 1410-1425.
Volume scattering function, average cosines, and the underwater light field. J.T.O. Kirk (1991). Limnol. Oceanogr. 36, 455-467.
Estimation of the absorption and the scattering coefficients of natural waters by use of underwater irradiance measurements. J.T.O. Kirk (1994). Applied Optics. 33, 3276-3278.
Modeling the performance of an integrating-cavity absorption meter: theory and calculations for a spherical cavity. J.T.O. Kirk (1995). Applied Optics. 34, 4397-4408.
Point-source integrating cavity absorption meter: theoretical principles and numerical modeling. J.T.O. Kirk (1997). Applied Optics. 36, 6123-6128.
Optical properties of ocean waters in the vicinity of the Chatham Rise, South Pacific Ocean. J.T.O. Kirk, R.J. Davies-Colley, D. Shooter & A.-M. Schwarz (1998). Mar. Freshwater Res. 49, 1-6.
Multiple scattering of a photon flux: implications for the integral average cosine of the underwater light field. J.T.O. Kirk (1999). Applied Optics 38, 3134-3140.
The vertical attenuation of irradiance as a function of the optical properties of the water. J.T.O. Kirk (2003). Limnol. Oceanogr. 48, 9-17.
Light field around a point light source in the ocean. J.T.O. Kirk (2006). Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans.111, C07008, doi:10.1029/2005JC003365.
Radiation transfer in ocean water: average penetration depth of a photon flux in a fixed time interval. J.T.O. Kirk (2007). Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans. 112, C02010, doi:10.1029/2006JC003500.