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Experiment Eleven: Dark Secrets Behind the Discovery of a Wonder Drug
In 1943, Albert Schatz, a young Rutgers College Ph.D. student, worked on a wartime project in microbiology professor Selman Waksman’s lab, searching for an antibiotic to fight infections on the front lines and at home. In his eleventh experiment on a common bacterium found in farmyard soil, Schatz discovered streptomycin, the first effective cure for tuberculosis, one of t...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
May 8th 2012
by Walker & Company
(first published April 24th 2012)
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Interesting account of a battle over scientific credit. Unlike the clash between Newton and Leibniz over discovery of the calculus, in which Newton attempted to deny the independent work of Leibniz, this event took place between a professor and one of his graduate students.
The opponents were mismatched, and the outcome wasn't pretty, as those who read the book will discover. From the well-documented account presented here, one would certainly wish that Waksman had behaved in a more open and gene...more
The opponents were mismatched, and the outcome wasn't pretty, as those who read the book will discover. From the well-documented account presented here, one would certainly wish that Waksman had behaved in a more open and gene...more
This book provides the reader with the accounts that lead to the discovery of streptomycin and the events that occur afterwards. If you are someone who enjoys reading about the development of things that have a heavy influence in science and in our daily lives than this is a great story. If you are someone who wants the more technical aspect of scientific discoveries, you probably will be disappointed as this book weighs heavily on the unfair battle between a professor and his graduate student o...more
albert schatz is a graduate student working under his mentor, waksman, when schatz discovers an antibiotic. this is an important once: it works against tuberculosis. schatz and waksman are deemed co-discoverers on the official patent and subsequent papers. schatz writes the whole experiment up for this doctoral thesis, which waksman approves.
but waksman then goes on to garner not only royalties, he receives the nobel prize for his "work" on discovering streptomycin. waksman never gives schatz cr...more
but waksman then goes on to garner not only royalties, he receives the nobel prize for his "work" on discovering streptomycin. waksman never gives schatz cr...more
A wonderful expose of the fraud and dishonesty in the competition claiming credit for a discovery. Pringle recounts the discovery of streptomycin in 1943 by Albert Schatz working in Selman Waksman's lab at Rutgers. This antibiotic became the treatment for TB which, until then, had no effective medication. The injustices that followed this discovery need to be read by everyone. Schatz deserved credit, some royalties and a share in the Nobel prize but what actually happened shows the influence a p...more
amazon review:
In 1943, Albert Schatz, a young Rutgers College Ph.D. student, worked on a wartime project in microbiology professor Selman Waksman’s lab, searching for an antibiotic to fight infections on the front lines and at home. In his eleventh experiment on a common bacterium found in farmyard soil, Schatz discovered streptomycin, the first effective cure for tuberculosis, one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
In 1943, Albert Schatz, a young Rutgers College Ph.D. student, worked on a wartime project in microbiology professor Selman Waksman’s lab, searching for an antibiotic to fight infections on the front lines and at home. In his eleventh experiment on a common bacterium found in farmyard soil, Schatz discovered streptomycin, the first effective cure for tuberculosis, one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
As seen in
Nature
.
(Although they give the subtitle as "Deceit and Betrayal in the Discovery of the Cure for Tuberculosis", which I thought sounded more exciting.)
(Although they give the subtitle as "Deceit and Betrayal in the Discovery of the Cure for Tuberculosis", which I thought sounded more exciting.)
I like these kind of books - it's interesting finding out how something so iconic or important came about. If you are too, you'll probably like this.
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Peter Pringle is a veteran British foreign correspondent. He is theauthor and coauthor of several nonfiction books, including th ebestselling Those Are Real Bullets, Aren't They? He lives in New York City.
Series:
* Arthur Hemmings Mystery
More about Peter Pringle...
Series:
* Arthur Hemmings Mystery
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