HE DEDICATED his life to groundbreaking study at Southampton University.

Now even in death, Professor Gerald Kerkut is making sure frontline thinking about how the body works continues in the city.

The leading physiologist has left his entire estate, valued at more than £2.5m, to a trust fund he set up to boost post-graduate study.

In his will Prof Kerkut, who was the first person to use garden snails to find out how human cells worked, ordered that his Chilworth home and belongings be left to the Gerald Kerkut Charitable Trust.

Half the income each year will fund physiologists at Southampton University.

It has been heralded as one of the most significant donations to scientific study in the city in recent years.

Now trust bosses say it should boost Southampton's standing as one of the top research posts in the country.

Prof Kerkut, who never married, has been described as an enigma who was highly supportive of budding scientists but scathing of his contemporaries.

He arrived at Southampton University in 1954 as an animal physiology lecturer in the zoology department.

Two years later he set up the university's department of Physiology and Biochemistry and before his death, aged 76, Prof Kerkut had trained more than 80 post-graduates - including many who made vital contributions to scientific research.

Four years ago, he set up a trust to pay for one post-graduate a year to follow in his footsteps by carrying out frontline physiology research.

Now that number should increase to three or four a year.

Trustee Dr Niall Horn said: "This is a very important donation, and we had talked to Gerald about it before his death.

"It will be a very valuable opportunity, particularly for younger members of staff who don't have large research groups or incomes.

"They will be able to start many research projects that doubtless will be picked up and investigated further in the future. This should stimulate a lot of research at Southampton University."

Steve Glasspool, legacy officer at Southampton University, added: "Prof Kerkut was an extremely well-known character who was absolutely dedicated to his subject - and he remembered the university by setting up this trust.

"It will make a big difference to us and will go a long way towards helping physiology students. It's a wonderful gesture."