The History of Bacterial and Viral (Phage) Genetics1
The history of the breathtaking progress of
Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics and allied sciences such as Microbial Genetics,
Molecular Genetics, and Crystallography during the twentieth century is of great
interest. This interest is shared not only by academic scholars in the areas of
linguistics, the history of science, gender studies, pharmacy and medicine, but
also by the general public. (The availability of medical genetic tests such as
amniocentesis has increased public interest in the idea of predicting such diseases
as Muscular Distrophy, Sickle-Cell Anemia, Cancer, Heart Disease, Tay-Sachs Disease,
Down's Syndrome, Marfan's Syndrome, etc.) Another area in which the public has shown
interest is in forensic genetics: for example, tracing the family origins of children
stolen for political purposes2. The public is
aware that a simplistic view of morality is hardly adequate to deal with such problems.
Unfortunately, most people who are not scientists or science historians may not have
an adequate awareness to fully appreciate the issues.
Partly to address this problem, various
interested organizations and institutions have created internet sites. In almost all
cases, these web sites not only do not tell the entire story; they are sometimes
also filled with errors.3
This page provides links to three exhibits
and a few online web sites that discuss the work of Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg.
In all cases the web sites cannot be depended upon for accuracy, as they are filled
with errors; in one case, the site's stated policies do not guarantee the veracity
of the information it contains. View what these web sites themselves have to say.
Caveat emptor!
1
Many research scientists are not particularly interested in the history of science; hence, their
knowledge of who discovered what, and why this is important, may not be as comprehensive as desired.
Many science historians may not be that knowledgeable about the scientific questions involved. Hence,
historians are subject to errors about science. As a consequence, readers who are neither scientists nor
science historians may not be able to rely upon what scientists or historians say.
This problem is compounded by the fact that scientific organizations may be biased (intentionally or unintentionally).
For example, the Institut Pasteur wish to emphasize the discoveries made by researchers associated
with the Institut Pasteur. The Max Planck Institute wish to emphasize the discoveries made be researchers associated with the Max Planck Institute. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have a similar
interest, as does the Rockefeller Institute (whose previous director had a personal bias as well).
2
Mitochondrial DNA (traced matrilinearly) was used to determine the family origins of children who
were stolen from their parents for political purposes in Argentina during the 1970's. These
children are referred to as "desaparados".
3
There are several websites with relevant information, and most of these websites contain errors.
The website for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories contains many errors, including incomplete or inaccurate
lists of Symposium participants. (For example, Renato Dulbecco is not listed among the attendees of the
1953 Symposium, although he delivered a paper at that symposium.) In addition to unintended errors, Cold
Spring Harbor Laboratories also intentionally misleads the public. (For example, it omits any reference
to its founder, Charles Davenport, having supported the NAZI Eugenics program at the Kaiser Wilhelm Society
and Institutes, and Davenport's openly racist views. Scientists associated with CSHL, such as Bentley Glass,
explicitly differed with Davenport's rascist views, but this is not mentioned prominently either. Other
members with well-documented racist views, such as James Watson, are supported, but their views are minimized
by rubrics such as "now retired", "emeritus", etc. — as if the documented reason for "retirement"
wasn't related to well-publicized scandal.)
Website Terms of Use