---

Bacteria reproduce by dividing, and it was assumed that each species of bacteria therefore has the same genetic makeup. Professor Lederberg showed that bacteria can directly exchange genetic material with one another, and also that a kind of virus, called a bacteriophage, can transfer genetic information between bacteria. This unlocked the possibility of creating genetically modified organisms. Professor Lederberg worked mainly in the US, and was a Fulbright Visiting Professor of Bacteriology at the University of Melbourne in 1957.

Read more about Professor Lederberg