Beijerinck

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An influential Dutch microbiologist known for his pioneering work in virology and soil microbiology
2. A notable researcher recognized for the discovery of viruses and their impact on agriculture and disease
3. A key figure in the development of microbiological techniques that advanced the understanding of plant pathogens and microorganisms

Etymology: Martinus Beijerinck's name is now attached to organisms and ideas, and he is often credited with arguing that the agent behind tobacco mosaic disease was not an ordinary bacterium. It passed through filters fine enough to stop bacteria, yet it could multiply inside plants. He called it a "contagium vivum fluidum," a living contagious fluid, which helped establish that viruses were a distinct kind of infectious agent. His interests reached well beyond disease. He developed enrichment culture, a method of supplying conditions that favour one type of microbe so it can be isolated, and used it to discover organisms that fix atmospheric nitrogen in soil. Several microbial genera carry his name, including "Beijerinckia," a group of soil bacteria. As a surname, the name is simply Dutch; the scientist's fame gave it its later meaning. Other microbiologists have since been named for their discoveries in the same way, but his name remains most closely tied to the early study of viruses.