Peter Molan

Peter Charles Molan (20 October 1943 – 16 September 2015) was a New Zealand biochemist, noted for his elucidation of the medicinal properties of mānuka honey.

Early life and family Born in Cardiff, Wales, on 20 October 1943, Molan was the son of Vera Molan (née Boswell) and her husband Charles Molan. In 1963 Molan married Winifred Ruth Whitcomb in Cardiff. They migrated to New Zealand with their four children in 1973, and became naturalised New Zealanders in 1977. He then undertook doctoral research at the University of Liverpool, where he awarded a PhD in dental science in 1969. A lecturer in dental science at Liverpool from 1968 to 1973, he took up a lectureship at the University of Waikato in Hamilton in 1973, and established the first biochemistry course at that institution. He went on to establish a grading system, known as the "Molan Gold Standard", for the quality of mānuka honey, based on the honey's methylglyoxal content. He also investigated the use of honey as an aid to the healing of wounds.

Over his career Molan wrote or co-wrote over 90 refereed scientific papers and seven book chapters, and gave over 60 conference presentations. He was co-editor of two books on the use of honey for wound management, was awarded several patents, and wrote numerous magazine and newspaper articles.

Awards and honours In the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honours, Molan was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the honey industry. In 2001 he was awarded a New Zealand Science and Technology silver medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand, for "revolutionising the New Zealand honey industry and adding significantly to the value of their product." and a lifetime achievement award in 2013.

Death Molan died from cancer at his home in Hamilton on 16 September 2015.