John Malcolm Hirst DSC FRS (20 April 1921, in Marston Green – 30 December 1997) was a British aerobiologist,[1] known for his invention of the Hirst spore trap, which enabled accurate, routine estimates of spore and pollen concentrations found in the atmosphere.
The spore trap was a breakthrough in understanding epidemics of plant disease, identifying airborne allergens, and predicting pollen danger alerts for people with allergic rhinitis.
Their father, who was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, died in 1928, thus causing a financial struggle for his widow and their two sons.
[2] Early in WW II, J. M. Hirst's brother died in a seaplane accident while flying in RAF Coastal Command.
[3] In summer 1942 he, as a junior officer, joined a flotilla of wooden motor launches for mine clearing and escort service in the Mediterranean.
[2] Hirst's research demonstrated the value of a detailed knowledge of spore dispersal in evaluating control procedures for plant diseases caused by fungi.
[2] He continued to do research on the phytopathology of potatoes and cereal crops and also developed an interest in methods and systems of farming.