Selman Waksman 718096 225773803 2008-07-15T09:55:08Z RGTraynor 270405 Replacing per MOS, Replaced: July of → July using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Infobox Scientist | name = Selman Abraham Waksman | image = Selman Waksman NYWTS.jpg | birth_date = {{birth date|1888|7|22|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Pryluky]], near [[Kiev]], [[Ukraine]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1973|8|16|1888|7|22}} | death_place = [[Woods Hole, Massachusetts|Woods Hole]], [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable County]], [[Massachusetts]], [[United States of America]] | residence = [[United States of America|USA]] | nationality = [[Russia]]n | field = [[Biochemistry]] and [[Microbiology]] | prizes = [[Image:Nobel prize medal.svg|20px]] [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] (1952) <br/>[[Leeuwenhoek Medal]] (1950) }} '''Selman Abraham Waksman''' ([[22 July]] [[1888]] &ndash; [[16 August]] [[1973]]) was an [[United States of America|American]] [[Biochemistry|biochemist]] and [[Microbiology|microbiologist]] whose research into [[organic substance]]s&mdash;largely into [[organism]]s that live in [[soil]]&mdash;and their [[decomposition]] led to the discovery of [[Streptomycin]], and several other [[antibiotic]]s. A [[professor]] of biochemistry and microbiology at [[Rutgers University]] for four decades, his work led to the discovery of over twenty [[antibiotic]]s (a word which he coined) and procedures that have led to the development of many others. The proceeds earned from the licensing of his [[patent]]s funded a foundation for microbiological research, which established the [[Waksman Institute of Microbiology]] located on Rutgers University's [[Busch Campus]] in [[Piscataway, New Jersey|Piscataway]], [[New Jersey]] (USA). In 1952 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in recognition for his discovery of "streptomycin" the first antibiotic active against tuberculosis. In 2005 Selman Waksman was designated an [[ACS National Historical Chemical Landmarks|ACS National Historical Chemical Landmark]] in recognition of his significance for isolating more than fifteen antibiotics, including streptomycin, which was the first effective treatment for tuberculosis.<ref>Selman Waksman and Antibiotics - ACS National Historical Chemical Landmarks [http://acswebcontent.acs.org/landmarks/antibiotics/antibiotics.html]</ref> ==Biography== Selman Waksman was born on [[22 July]] [[1888]] to [[Jewish]] parents in [[Pryluky]], a peasant village near [[Kiev]], in the [[Russian Empire]]<ref name="foundationhistory">[http://www.waksmanfoundation.org/html/foundation_history.html "The Foundation and Its History"], at the Waksman Foundation for Microbiology website. (No further authorship information available), accessed [[11 January]] [[2007]].</ref>, now [[Ukraine]]. He immigrated to the United States in 1910, shortly after receiving his matriculation diploma from the Fifth Gymnasium in [[Odessa]], Ukraine, and became a [[Naturalization|naturalised American citizen]] six years later. Waksman attended [[Rutgers University|Rutgers College]] (now Rutgers University), where he was graduated in 1915 with a [[Bachelor of Science]] (B.Sc.) in [[Agriculture]]. He continued his studies at Rutgers, receiving a [[Master of Science]] (M.Sc.) the following year. During his graduate study, he worked under [[J. G. Lipman]] at the [[School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (Rutgers University)|New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station]] at Rutgers performing research in [[soil bacteriology]]. Waksman was then appointed as Research Fellow at the [[University of California, Berkeley]] from where he was awarded his [[Doctor of Philosophy]] (Ph.D.) in Biochemistry in [[1918]]. He later joined the faculty at [[Rutgers University]] in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology. It was at Rutgers that Waksman discovered several antibiotics, including [[actinomycin]], [[clavacin]], [[streptothricin]], [[streptomycin]], [[grisein]], [[neomycin]], [[fradicin]], [[candicidin]], [[candidin]], and others. Two of these, [[streptomycin]] and [[neomycin]], have found extensive application in the treatment of numerous infectious diseases. [[Streptomycin]] was the first [[antibiotic]] that could be used to cure the disease [[tuberculosis]]. Waksman coined the term [[antibiotics]]. Many awards and honors were showered on Waksman after 1940, most notably the Nobel Prize in 1952; the Star of the Rising Sun, bestowed on him by the emperor of Japan, and the rank of Commandeur in the French [[Légion d'honneur]].<ref name="foundationhistory"/><ref>[http://waksman.rutgers.edu/Waks/Waksman/DrWaksman.html "Dr. Selman Waksman"], at the Waksman Institute at Rutgers website. (No further authorship information available), accessed [[17 January]] [[2008]].</ref> Selman Waksman died on [[16 August]] [[1973]] and was interred at the Crowell Cemetery in [[Woods Hole, Massachusetts|Woods Hole]], [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable County]], [[Massachusetts]]. His tombstone is inscribed simply as ''Selman Abraham Waksman: Scientist'' and following his dates of birth and death, an apt [[paraphrase]] (given his life's work) of a verse from the prophetic [[Old Testament]] [[Book of Isaiah]], carved in both [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and [[English language|English]] stating "The earth will open and bring forth salvation".<ref name="foundationhistory"/><ref>This verse is significantly different than the original text of ''Isaiah 45:8'' which states, in the [[King James Version]], as "Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it."</ref> ==Streptomycin== Although Waksman had been studying the Streptomycin family of organism since his college student days, the details and credit for the discovery of its use as the antibiotic [[streptomycin]] were strongly contested by one of Waksman's graduate students, [[Albert Schatz (scientist)|Albert Schatz]], and resulted in litigation. Rutgers University and Waksman at first vehemently denied the allegations, but archival material from Selman Waksman's own papers, brought to public light by the Electronic New Jersey history project, indicate that Waksman and the university knew they faced trouble.[http://www2.scc.rutgers.edu/njh/SciANDTech/Waksman/schatz.htm] The litigation ended with a substantial settlement for Schatz and the official decision that Waksman and Schatz would be considered co-discoverers of [[streptomycin]]. Schatz made the discovery while working in Waksman's basement lab, and using Waksman's equipment. Schatz examined about 10,000 cultures, and only 1,000 would kill bacteria in preliminary tests. Of those only 100 looked promising in later tests, and only ten were isolated and described. One of those ten was streptomycin.<ref name="timemanofsoil">[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,800002,00.html Man of the Soil] [[Time (magazine)]];[[April 4]], [[1949]]</ref> ==Neomycin== Like streptomycin, it is derived from [[actinomycetes]]. Hubert A. Lechevalier, a graduate student worked with him. The discovery was published in the journal Science. <ref name="timemanofsoil" /> ==Nobel Prize== There is contention as to whether or not Schatz should have been included in the [[Nobel Prize]] awarded in 1952 for "for his discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis" but it is understood that the [[Nobel Prize]] was awarded not only for the discovery of [[streptomycin]] but also for the development of the methods and techniques that led up to its discovery, and the discovery of many other [[antibiotics]]. Waksman created the [http://www.waksmanfoundation.org/ Waksman Foundation for Microbiology] in [[1951]] ([http://www.waksmanfoundation.org/html/foundation_history.html Foundation History]) using half of his personal patent royalties. At a meeting of the board of Trustees of the Foundation, held in July 1951 he urged the building of a facility for work in microbiology, named the [[Waksman Institute of Microbiology]], which is located on the [[Busch Campus (Rutgers University)|Busch campus]] of [[Rutgers University]] in [[Piscataway, New Jersey]]. ==Publications== Selman Waksman was [[author]] or [[co-author]] of over 400 scientific papers, as well as twenty-eight books.<ref name="foundationhistory"/> * ''[[Enzymes (book)|Enzymes]]'' ([[1926]]) * ''[[Humus: origin, chemical composition, and importance in nature]]'' ([[1936]], [[1938]]) * ''[[Principles of Soil Microbiology]]'' ([[1938]]) * ''[[My Life with the Microbes]]'' ([[1954]]) (an autobiography) ==External links== * [http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/1952/waksman-bio.html Nobel Prize: Selman Waksman] * [http://www.waksmanfoundation.org/ Waksman Foundation for Microbiology] *[http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_the_history_of_medicine_and_allied_sciences/v059/59.3kingston.html Streptomycin, Schatz v. Waksman, and the Balance of Credit for Discovery] *[http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=waksman&GSfn=selman&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=9533563&pt=Selman%20Abraham%20Waksman& Findagrave: Selman Waksman] *[http://www2.scc.rutgers.edu/njh/SciANDTech/Waksman/wakfront.htm Electronic New Jersey: Selman Waksman - Father of Antibiotics] *[http://www2.scc.rutgers.edu/njh/SciANDTech/Waksman/profit.htm#shatz Electronic New Jersey: The Schatz Lawsuit] ==References== <references/> {{Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Laureates 1951-1975}} {{Persondata |NAME=Selman Waksman |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Selman Abraham Waksman |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American scientist, biochemist, microbiologist who discovered Streptomycin and many antibiotics. |DATE OF BIRTH=[[22 July]] [[1888]] |PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Pryluky]], near [[Kiev]], [[Ukraine]] |DATE OF DEATH=[[16 August]] [[1973]] |PLACE OF DEATH=[[Woods Hole, Massachusetts|Woods Hole]], [[Barnstable County, Massachusetts|Barnstable County]], [[Massachusetts]], [[United States of America]] }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Waksman, Selman}} [[Category:1888 births]] [[Category:1973 deaths]] [[Category:American biochemists]] [[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]] [[Category:Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine]] [[Category:Rutgers University alumni]] [[Category:Rutgers University faculty]] [[Category:American biologists]] [[Category:Soil scientists]] [[Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni]] [[Category:Recipients of the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research]] [[Category:Jewish scientists]] [[Category:Jewish inventors]] [[Category:Ukrainian Nobel laureates]] [[Category:People from Chernihiv Oblast]] [[ar:سلمان واكسمان]] [[ca:Selman Abraham Waksman]] [[de:Selman Abraham Waksman]] [[es:Selman Abraham Waksman]] [[fr:Selman Abraham Waksman]] [[hr:Selman Abraham Waksman]] [[id:Selman A. 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