ISBN: 9780874700671
This volume represents the proceedings of a symposium at The Rockefeller University on October 23, 1989, in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery by Rene Dubos of gramicidin, the first antibacterial agent to be obtained from natural sources through rational pursuit. It also recalls other events leading to the beginning of the antibiotic era and effective antimicrobial therapy. The reports given reveal more than the bare facts of discovery; they paint a picture of the science and scientists of fifty years ago: interpersonal relationships, the competitive aspects of research, personal gain, and the role of industry.
Carol L. Moberg is on the faculty of The Rockefeller University. She has a PhD from Columbia University in comparative literature. Her articles on scientists, science history, and biomedical science have been published in Scientific American, Science, The Journal of Experimental Medicine, and Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. She was co-editor and contributor to Launching the Antibiotic Era and is the author of René Dubos, Friend of the Good Earth.
