Norton Zinder

Norton David Zinder
Marilyn Zinder, Norton Zinder and Esther M. Lederberg, Feb. 1972
Born	November 7, 1928 New York City
Fields	Microbiology
Institutions	Rockefeller University
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin–Madison
Known for	Transduction Virology
Notable awards	NAS Award in Molecular Biology (1966)

Norton Zinder (born November 7, 1928) 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. He currently heads a laboratory at Rockefeller University.

In 1966 he was awarded the NAS Award in Molecular Biology from the National Academy of Sciences.^[1]

Genetic transduction and RNA bacteriophage

Working as a graduate student with Joshua Lederberg, Zinder discovered that bacteriophage can carry genes from one bacterium to another. Initial experiments were carried out using Salmonella. Zinder and Lederberg named this process of genetic exchange transduction.

Later, Zinder discovered the first bacteriophage that contained RNA as its genetic material. At that time, Harvey Lodish of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology worked in his lab.^[2]

References

1. ^ "NAS Award in Molecular Biology". National Academy of Sciences. http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_molbio. Retrieved 27 February 2011. 
2. ^ . PMID 17775172. 

• Lederberg J & Zinder N. Concentration of biochemical mutants of bacteria with penicillin. J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 70:4267-8, 1948. [1]
• Lederberg, J., Lederberg, E. M., Zinder, N. D., Lively, E. R., 1951, "Recombination analysis of bacterial heredity", Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology 16:413-443
• Zinder N D & Lederberg J. Genetic exchange in Salmonella. J. Bacteriology 64:679-99, 1952. [2]

External links

• Papers authored by Norton Zinder
• Laboratory of Genetics at Rockefeller University
• Historical plaque at UW–Madison noting Zinder's contribution to molecular genetics
• Biography of Norton Zinder

Persondata
Name	Zinder, Norton
Alternative names
Short description	American microbiologist
Date of birth	November 7, 1928
Place of birth	New York City
Date of death
Place of death