- Giovanni Battista Grassi
Giovanni Battista Grassi (1854
Rovellasca -1925,Rome ) was an Italianzoologist , known for work demonstrating thatmosquito s carry themalaria plasmodium in their digestive tract, on the embryological development ofhoney bees , on parasites, particularly the vine parasitephylloxera , migrations and metamorphosis ineel s, and ontermites .Biography
Battista Grassi graduated in Medicine from the
University of Pavia under professorsCamillo Golgi andGiulio Bizzozero Giulio Bizzazzero. After graduation he worked on parasitic worms of medical importance especially the hookworm.in the Department of Comparative Anatomy at Sapienza University inRome .From 1878 Grassi worked first at
Messina in the Oceanographic Station founded byNicolaus Kleinenberg andAnton Dohrn where he studiedChaetognatha then atHeidelberg withKarl Gegenbaur andOtto Bütschli .In Heidelberg Grassi married Maria Koenen.In 1883 he became Professor of Comparative Zoology at the
University of Catania , studying cestodes, the life cycle of theEuropean eel (Catania) and theMoray eel (Rome). Also in Catania he began to study entomology and wrote a student text "The Origin and Descent of Myriapods and Insects" in addition to scientific papers. He also began to studyMalaria working withRaimondo Feletti on malaria, especially bird malaria.In 1895 Grassi joined
Angelo Celli ,Amico Bignami ,Giuseppe Bastianelli andEttore Marchiafava a group working on malaria in districts around Rome as the group’s entomologist. he identified Anopheles claviger as being responsible for the spread of malaria in man. Between 1900 and 1902, Grassi,Gustavo Pittaluga andGiovanni Noè made intensive sudies of malaria atAgro Portuense , atFiumicino , on theTiber , and on the plain ofCapaccio , near Paestum.In 1902, Grassi abandoned his study of malaria and began work on the sandfly responsible for
Leishmaniasis ("Phlebotomus papatasii") and on a serious insect pest of the grape vine ( "Phylloxera vastatrix )". Endemic malaria returned to Italy during and after theFirst World War and Grassi resumed his mosquito studies and was working on them when he died.Works
Partial list
* 1898. Rapporti tra la malaria e peculiari insetti (zanzaroni e zanzare palustri). "R. C. Accad. Lincei" 7:163-177.
* 1899. Ancora sulla malaria. "R. C. Accad. Lincei" 8:559-561.
*with Bignami,A. and Bastianelli, G.. 1899. Resoconto degli studi fatti sulla malaria durante il mese di gennaio. "R. C. Accad. Lincei". 8:100-104.
* 1901. Studii di uno Zoologo sulla Malaria."Atti dei.Linncei.Mem. Cl.sc.fis.ecc".3(5),No. 91:299-516.6 plates in colour.Recognition
He won the
Royal Society 'sDarwin Medal in 1896.He was made a senator in Italy. [de Kruif, Paul "Microbe Hunters" 1956 ed. Pocket Books. pg 291.]
A stamp commemorating Grassi and with his portrait was issued by the Italian post office in 1955. [ [http://www.bugsonstamps.com/italy/italy_03_mosq.htm Italy - Grassi - Mosquito ] at www.bugsonstamps.com]
References
*Conci, C. & Poggi, R. 1996 "Iconography of Italian Entomologists, with essential biographical data". Mem. Soc. Ent. Ital. 75 159-382, 418 Fig.
*Howard, L. O. 1930 "History of applied Entomology (Somewhat Anecdotal)". Smiths. Miscell. Coll. 84 X+1-564, 51 plates
*Roncalli, Amici R.The history of Italian parasitology."Vet. Parasitol. 98(1-3): 3-30.External links
* [http://www.scienzemfn.uniroma1.it/bau/MUSEI/anacomp/grassi/GBGEng. Biography of Grassi] in English.
* [http://dipbau.bio.uniroma1.it/web/Musei/MuseoAC/GrassiZoologo.htm_cvt.htm#1. Biography of Grassi] In Italian, English translation sometimes available.
* [http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1139-67092006000100010&lng=pt&nrm=&tlng=en Grassi versus Ross]
* [http://www.cat-science.com/admin/articles/pdfs/060302/1_focus_Battista.pdf Contributions to Science]
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