Esther Lederberg (1922-2006)

Lederberg achieved her Genetics degree age 20 from Hunter College, New York, and later received her PhD in 1950.
She discovered the lambda phage, a virus that infects bacteria and integrates its DNA into the host, similar to how herpes viruses function.
Lederberg invented the Replica Plating Method to exactly replicate petri dish colonies using cotton pads and velvet.
She discovered the fertility (f) factor, the gene sequence that allows donation of DNA from one bacterium to another.
Lederberg was the founder and director of the Plasmid Reference Centre at Stanford University from 1976 to 1986.

Author: Anthonia Oluwatuyi (2020) LJMU Student

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