| Michael Goodfellow | |
| Honorific Suffix: | MBE |
| Birth Date: | 8 January 1941 |
| Birth Place: | Ecclefechan, Scotland |
| Field: | Taxonomist |
| Work Institution: | University of Newcastle upon Tyne |
Michael Goodfellow MBE (8 January 1941 – 8 March 2024) was a British professor in microbial systematics, specialising in Actinomycetota taxonomy. He earlier served as head of the School of Biology in University of Newcastle upon Tyne.[1] He was also the chair of the Bergey's Manual Trust.[2] Goodfellow died on 8 March 2024, at the age of 83.[3]
Goodfellow was born in Ecclefechan, Scotland and went to school at Carlisle Grammar School. He did both his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of Liverpool, graduating with PhD in 1966. He took a postdoctoral fellowship at Penn State, then as an MRC Junior Research Fellow at the University of Leicester. In 1969 he joined the then newly established University of Newcastle, where he later served as head of the School of Biology.[4]
In Newcastle he established and developed courses in microbial systematics and biotechnology and managed the Microbial Resource Laboratory (MRC) for over 30 years. The MRC has and remains focussed on the development and application of state-of-the-art procedures designed to advance the systematics, ecology and commercialisation of actinobacteria.[4]
Owing to his contribution to microbial systematics, a bacterial genus of Actinomycetota was named after him as Goodfellowia.[7]
Apart from his research activities he was involved in development of education in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He was appointed a governor for Gosforth High School in 1974 and later elected the chair of governors in 1979, a post he still held.[8] For his service in education he was named Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours list.[9]