Joshua Lederberg
Encyclopedia
Joshua Lederberg ForMemRS
(May 23, 1925 – February 2, 2008) was an American
molecular biologist
known for his work in microbial genetics, artificial intelligence
, and the United States space program. He was just 33 years old when he won the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
for discovering that bacteria can mate and exchange genes. He shared the prize with Edward L. Tatum and George Beadle who won for their work with genetics.
In addition to his contributions to biology
, Lederberg did extensive research in artificial intelligence
. This included work in the NASA
experimental programs seeking life on Mars
and the chemistry
expert system
Dendral
.
, to Esther Goldenbaum Schulman Lederberg and Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lederberg, in 1925, and moved to Washington Heights, Manhattan
as an infant. He had two younger brothers. Lederberg graduated from Stuyvesant High School
in New York City
at the age of 15 in 1941. After graduation, he was allowed lab space as part of the American Institute Science Laboratory, a forerunner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He enrolled in Columbia University
in 1941, majoring in zoology. Under the mentorship of Francis J. Ryan, he conducted biochemical and genetic studies on the bread mold Neurospora crassa
. Intending to receive his MD and fulfill his military service obligations, Lederberg worked as a hospital corpsman during 1943 in the clinical pathology laboratory at St. Albans Naval Hospital, where he examined sailors' blood and stool samples for malaria
. He went on to receive his undergraduate degree in 1944.
while continuing to perform experiments. Inspired by Oswald Avery
's discovery
of the importance of DNA
, Lederberg began to investigate his hypothesis that, contrary to prevailing opinion, bacteria did not simply pass down exact copies of genetic information, making all cells in a lineage essentially clones
. After making little progress at Columbia, Lederberg wrote to Edward Tatum, his post-doctoral mentor, proposing a collaboration. In 1946 and 1947, Lederberg took a leave of absence to study under the mentorship of Tatum at Yale University
. Lederberg and Tatum showed that the bacterium Escherichia coli
entered a sexual phase during which it could share genetic information through bacterial conjugation
. With this discovery and some mapping of the E. coli chromosome
, Lederberg was able to receive his Ph. D. from Yale University
in 1947. Joshua married Esther Miriam Zimmer (herself a mentee of Ed. Tatum) on December 13, 1946.
Instead of returning to Columbia to finish his medical degree, Lederberg chose to accept an offer of an assistant professorship in genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. His wife Esther Lederberg
went with him to Wisconsin. She received her doctorate there in 1950.
Joshua Lederberg, Esther Lederberg, Norton Zinder
and Evelyn R. Lively showed in 1951 that genetic material could be transferred from one bacterium to another using viral material as an intermediary step. This process is called transduction
. In 1956, M. Laurance Morse, Esther Lederberg and Joshua Lederberg also discovered specialized transduction
. The research in specialized transduction focused upon lambda phage infection of E. coli as well as the Fertility factor F. Transduction and specialized transduction explained how bacteria of different species could gain resistance to the same antibiotic
very quickly.
Esther Lederberg published a paper dealing with the discovery of lambda phage in 1950. This was followed in 1952 by papers written by Norton Zinder and Joshua Lederberg dealing with bacteriophage lambda.
During her time in Joshua Lederberg's laboratory, Esther Lederberg
also discovered fertility factor F, later publishing with Joshua Lederberg and Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza
. In 1956, the Society of Illinois Bacteriologists simultaneously awarded Joshua Lederberg and Esther Lederberg the Pasteur Medal, for "their outstanding contributions to the fields of microbiology and genetics".
In 1957, Joshua Lederberg founded the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
where he was the founder and chairman of the Department of Genetics. He collaborated with Frank Macfarlane Burnet
to study viral antibodies. With the launching of Sputnik in 1957, Lederberg became concerned about the biological impact of space exploration. In a letter to the National Academies of Sciences, he outlined his concerns that extraterrestrial microbes might gain entry to Earth onboard spacecraft, causing catastrophic diseases. He also argued that, conversely, microbial contamination of manmade satellites and probes may obscure the search for extraterrestrial life. He advised quarantine for returning astronauts and equipment and sterilization of equipment prior to launch. Teaming up with Carl Sagan
, his public advocacy for what he termed exobiology helped expand the role of biology in NASA.
In 1951 Joshua Lederberg had done research under contract at Camp Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, in the area of biological warfare
. This research work became more relevant after he retired from
microbiological research circa 1964 and was increasingly involved with areas outside of microbiological research, such as exobiology, eugenics
, computer science (described below), organic chemistry (described below), and topical articles for the general public. There were some scientists who considered Joshua Lederberg unqualified to do research in areas such as computer science and biochemistry.
Paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson considered exobiology the kind of work that "ex-biologists" did. Indeed, as George Gaylord Simpson said about exobiology (Joshua Lederberg's coined term), "'Astrobiology' is a curious science. Like its predecessor 'exobiology' it is a science without a subject.".
Joshua Lederberg's work with biological warfare and the U.S. space effort might be considered to be covert ("... but don't let them know you have BW in on the rockets").
In the 1960s, he collaborated with Edward Feigenbaum
in Stanford's computer science department to develop DENDRAL
.
In 1978, he became the president of Rockefeller University
, until he stepped down in 1990 and became professor-emeritus
of molecular genetics and informatics
at Rockefeller University, considering his extensive research and publications in these disciplines.
Throughout his career, Lederberg was active as a scientific advisor to the U.S. government. Starting in 1950, he has been a member of various panels of the Presidential Science Advisory Committee. In 1979, he became a member of the U.S. Defense Science Board
and the chairman of President Jimmy Carter
's President's Cancer Panel. In 1989, he received National Medal of Science
for his contributions to the scientific world. In 1994, he headed the Department of Defense's Task Force on Persian Gulf War Health Effects, which investigated Gulf War Syndrome
.
Lederberg received the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Sciences of the American Philosophical Society
in 2002.
In 2006, Lederberg was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
.
in 1946; they divorced in 1966. He married psychiatrist Marguerite Stein Kirsch in 1968. He was survived by Marguerite, their daughter, Anne Lederberg, and his stepson, David Kirsch.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(May 23, 1925 – February 2, 2008) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
molecular biologist
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
known for his work in microbial genetics, artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, and the United States space program. He was just 33 years old when he won the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
for discovering that bacteria can mate and exchange genes. He shared the prize with Edward L. Tatum and George Beadle who won for their work with genetics.
In addition to his contributions to biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Lederberg did extensive research in artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
. This included work in the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
experimental programs seeking life on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and the chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
expert system
Expert system
In artificial intelligence, an expert system is a computer system that emulates the decision-making ability of a human expert. Expert systems are designed to solve complex problems by reasoning about knowledge, like an expert, and not by following the procedure of a developer as is the case in...
Dendral
Dendral
Dendral was an influential pioneer project in artificial intelligence of the 1960s, and the computer software expert system that it produced. Its primary aim was to study hypothesis formation and discovery in science...
.
Early life and education
Lederberg was born in Montclair, New JerseyMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, to Esther Goldenbaum Schulman Lederberg and Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lederberg, in 1925, and moved to Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
as an infant. He had two younger brothers. Lederberg graduated from Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the age of 15 in 1941. After graduation, he was allowed lab space as part of the American Institute Science Laboratory, a forerunner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He enrolled in Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1941, majoring in zoology. Under the mentorship of Francis J. Ryan, he conducted biochemical and genetic studies on the bread mold Neurospora crassa
Neurospora crassa
Neurospora crassa is a type of red bread mold of the phylum Ascomycota. The genus name, meaning "nerve spore" refers to the characteristic striations on the spores. The first published account of this fungus was from an infestation of French bakeries in 1843. N...
. Intending to receive his MD and fulfill his military service obligations, Lederberg worked as a hospital corpsman during 1943 in the clinical pathology laboratory at St. Albans Naval Hospital, where he examined sailors' blood and stool samples for malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. He went on to receive his undergraduate degree in 1944.
Bacterial genetics
Joshua Lederberg began medical studies at Columbia's College of Physicians and SurgeonsColumbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, often known as P&S, is a graduate school of Columbia University that is located on the health sciences campus in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan...
while continuing to perform experiments. Inspired by Oswald Avery
Oswald Avery
Oswald Theodore Avery ForMemRS was a Canadian-born American physician and medical researcher. The major part of his career was spent at the Rockefeller University Hospital in New York City...
's discovery
Avery-MacLeod-McCarty experiment
The Avery–MacLeod–McCarty experiment was an experimental demonstration, reported in 1944 by Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty, that DNA is the substance that causes bacterial transformation...
of the importance of DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
, Lederberg began to investigate his hypothesis that, contrary to prevailing opinion, bacteria did not simply pass down exact copies of genetic information, making all cells in a lineage essentially clones
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
. After making little progress at Columbia, Lederberg wrote to Edward Tatum, his post-doctoral mentor, proposing a collaboration. In 1946 and 1947, Lederberg took a leave of absence to study under the mentorship of Tatum at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. Lederberg and Tatum showed that the bacterium Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
entered a sexual phase during which it could share genetic information through bacterial conjugation
Bacterial conjugation
Bacterial conjugation is the transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells by direct cell-to-cell contact or by a bridge-like connection between two cells...
. With this discovery and some mapping of the E. coli chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
, Lederberg was able to receive his Ph. D. from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1947. Joshua married Esther Miriam Zimmer (herself a mentee of Ed. Tatum) on December 13, 1946.
Instead of returning to Columbia to finish his medical degree, Lederberg chose to accept an offer of an assistant professorship in genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. His wife Esther Lederberg
Esther Lederberg
Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg was an American microbiologist and immunologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics...
went with him to Wisconsin. She received her doctorate there in 1950.
Joshua Lederberg, Esther Lederberg, Norton Zinder
Norton Zinder
Norton Zinder is an American biologist famous for his discovery of genetic transduction. Zinder was born in New York City, received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1969...
and Evelyn R. Lively showed in 1951 that genetic material could be transferred from one bacterium to another using viral material as an intermediary step. This process is called transduction
Transduction (genetics)
Transduction is the process by which DNA is transferred from one bacterium to another by a virus. It also refers to the process whereby foreign DNA is introduced into another cell via a viral vector. Transduction does not require cell-to-cell contact , and it is DNAase resistant...
. In 1956, M. Laurance Morse, Esther Lederberg and Joshua Lederberg also discovered specialized transduction
Transduction (genetics)
Transduction is the process by which DNA is transferred from one bacterium to another by a virus. It also refers to the process whereby foreign DNA is introduced into another cell via a viral vector. Transduction does not require cell-to-cell contact , and it is DNAase resistant...
. The research in specialized transduction focused upon lambda phage infection of E. coli as well as the Fertility factor F. Transduction and specialized transduction explained how bacteria of different species could gain resistance to the same antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
very quickly.
Esther Lederberg published a paper dealing with the discovery of lambda phage in 1950. This was followed in 1952 by papers written by Norton Zinder and Joshua Lederberg dealing with bacteriophage lambda.
During her time in Joshua Lederberg's laboratory, Esther Lederberg
Esther Lederberg
Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg was an American microbiologist and immunologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics...
also discovered fertility factor F, later publishing with Joshua Lederberg and Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza
Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza
Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza is an Italian population geneticist born in Genoa, who has been a professor at Stanford University since 1970 .-Books:...
. In 1956, the Society of Illinois Bacteriologists simultaneously awarded Joshua Lederberg and Esther Lederberg the Pasteur Medal, for "their outstanding contributions to the fields of microbiology and genetics".
In 1957, Joshua Lederberg founded the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Post Nobel Prize research
In 1958, Joshua Lederberg received the Nobel Prize and moved to Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
where he was the founder and chairman of the Department of Genetics. He collaborated with Frank Macfarlane Burnet
Frank Macfarlane Burnet
Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, , usually known as Macfarlane or Mac Burnet, was an Australian virologist best known for his contributions to immunology....
to study viral antibodies. With the launching of Sputnik in 1957, Lederberg became concerned about the biological impact of space exploration. In a letter to the National Academies of Sciences, he outlined his concerns that extraterrestrial microbes might gain entry to Earth onboard spacecraft, causing catastrophic diseases. He also argued that, conversely, microbial contamination of manmade satellites and probes may obscure the search for extraterrestrial life. He advised quarantine for returning astronauts and equipment and sterilization of equipment prior to launch. Teaming up with Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan
Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He published more than 600 scientific papers and articles and was author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books...
, his public advocacy for what he termed exobiology helped expand the role of biology in NASA.
In 1951 Joshua Lederberg had done research under contract at Camp Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, in the area of biological warfare
Biological warfare
Biological warfare is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi with intent to kill or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war...
. This research work became more relevant after he retired from
microbiological research circa 1964 and was increasingly involved with areas outside of microbiological research, such as exobiology, eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
, computer science (described below), organic chemistry (described below), and topical articles for the general public. There were some scientists who considered Joshua Lederberg unqualified to do research in areas such as computer science and biochemistry.
Paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson considered exobiology the kind of work that "ex-biologists" did. Indeed, as George Gaylord Simpson said about exobiology (Joshua Lederberg's coined term), "'Astrobiology' is a curious science. Like its predecessor 'exobiology' it is a science without a subject.".
Joshua Lederberg's work with biological warfare and the U.S. space effort might be considered to be covert ("... but don't let them know you have BW in on the rockets").
In the 1960s, he collaborated with Edward Feigenbaum
Edward Feigenbaum
Edward Albert Feigenbaum is a computer scientist working in the field of artificial intelligence. He is often called the "father of expert systems."...
in Stanford's computer science department to develop DENDRAL
Dendral
Dendral was an influential pioneer project in artificial intelligence of the 1960s, and the computer software expert system that it produced. Its primary aim was to study hypothesis formation and discovery in science...
.
In 1978, he became the president of Rockefeller University
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
, until he stepped down in 1990 and became professor-emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of molecular genetics and informatics
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
at Rockefeller University, considering his extensive research and publications in these disciplines.
Throughout his career, Lederberg was active as a scientific advisor to the U.S. government. Starting in 1950, he has been a member of various panels of the Presidential Science Advisory Committee. In 1979, he became a member of the U.S. Defense Science Board
Defense Science Board
The Defense Science Board is a committee of civilian experts appointed to advise the U.S. Department of Defense on scientific and technical matters...
and the chairman of President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's President's Cancer Panel. In 1989, he received National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
for his contributions to the scientific world. In 1994, he headed the Department of Defense's Task Force on Persian Gulf War Health Effects, which investigated Gulf War Syndrome
Gulf War syndrome
Gulf War syndrome or Gulf War illness describes a medical condition that affected veterans and civilians who were near conflicts during or downwind of chemical weapons depot demolition, after the 1991 Gulf War. A wide range of acute and chronic symptoms have included fatigue, musculoskeletal...
.
Lederberg received the Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Sciences of the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
in 2002.
In 2006, Lederberg was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
.
Personal
Lederberg married fellow scientist Esther Miriam ZimmerEsther Lederberg
Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg was an American microbiologist and immunologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics...
in 1946; they divorced in 1966. He married psychiatrist Marguerite Stein Kirsch in 1968. He was survived by Marguerite, their daughter, Anne Lederberg, and his stepson, David Kirsch.
External links
- Johsua Lederberg Papers (1904-2008) - National Library of Medicine finding aid
- The Joshua Lederberg Papers - Profiles in Science, National Library of Medicine
- Nobel biography
- In Memoriam: Joshua Lederberg (1925-2008)
- [Page, Goodlow, Braun, "The Effects of Threonine on Population Changes and Virulence of Salmonella Typhimurium", J. Bacteriol. 62(5), November 1951]
- [Theodore Berland, "Unknown Menace: Germs From Outer Space", Popular Mechanics, Nov. 1962, p. 124 (9 pages)]
- [For an analysis of the material regarding Joshua Lederberg's research in biological warfare, see http://www.estherlederberg.com/EImages/Archive/Oparin/Anecdotes/Anecdote44/Andromeda%20Strain.html]