He started the sister journal Biochemical Systematics in 1973, renamed Biochemical Systematics and Ecology in the next year.

Swain received his Bachelor of Science from the University of London . Here he also obtained a doctorate in organic chemistry . Afterwards he was still active at the University of Exeter . He then went on to work at the Low Temperature Research Station, a department of the University of Cambridge . Here he was involved in research into biosynthesis, enzymology