Baruch Samuel Blumberg

Baruch Samuel Blumberg (1925–2011) was an American physician and geneticist who discovered hepatitis B virus and helped develop the first hepatitis B vaccine.

Hepatitis B vaccine: A vaccine that prevents infection by hepatitis B virus and its severe complications. Blumberg’s research led to the first vaccine against this virus.
Australia antigen: An early name for hepatitis B surface antigen, first detected in the blood of an Australian Aboriginal person. Blumberg identified this marker while investigating inherited differences in blood proteins.
New York City: The most populous city in the United States, located at the mouth of the Hudson River. Blumberg was born in New York City in 1925.
Irving Millman: An American microbiologist who collaborated with Blumberg on developing a hepatitis B vaccine. Millman and Blumberg translated the surface-antigen discovery into a vaccine.
Hepatitis B screening: Testing people for hepatitis B infection or immunity using blood markers. The antigen Blumberg discovered made reliable blood-donor and patient screening possible.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: An annual international award recognizing major discoveries in physiology or medicine. Blumberg shared the 1976 prize for discoveries concerning new mechanisms of disease origin and dissemination.
Hepatitis B surface antigen: A protein on the hepatitis B virus surface that indicates current infection and forms the basis of vaccine antigen. Its detection revealed the virus, and purified surface antigen became the vaccine’s active component.
Union College: A private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, founded in 1795. Blumberg earned his undergraduate degree there before studying medicine.
Alfred Prince: An American virologist who independently identified evidence of hepatitis B virus in the 1960s. Prince’s work provided independent evidence connecting the Australia antigen to hepatitis.
Blood donation: The voluntary collection of blood from donors for transfusion or medical use. Screening donated blood for hepatitis B reduced transfusion-related transmission.

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Rosalyn Sussman YalowRelated: Blumberg and Yalow received consecutive medicine Nobels for work with major medical consequences.