Selman Waksman

Selman Waksman was a Ukrainian-born American microbiologist whose soil-microbe research led to the discovery of streptomycin. He received the 1952 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Albert Schatz: An American microbiologist who isolated streptomycin with Elizabeth Bugie and Selman Waksman in 1943. Schatz’s laboratory work made him central to later disputes over credit for streptomycin.
Actinomycetes: A group of filamentous bacteria known for producing many biologically active compounds. Waksman’s laboratory screened these soil organisms for substances that inhibited pathogens.
Nova Pryluka: A town in present-day Ukraine where Selman Waksman was born in 1888. Waksman was born there before emigrating to the United States.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: An annual international award recognizing discoveries in physiology or medicine, established by Alfred Nobel’s will. Waksman received the 1952 prize for discovering streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis.
Neomycin: An aminoglycoside antibiotic discovered by Selman Waksman and Hubert Lechevalier in 1949. Neomycin illustrates that Waksman’s laboratory continued finding antibiotics after streptomycin.
Elizabeth Bugie: An American microbiologist who helped isolate streptomycin while working in Waksman’s laboratory. Bugie co-authored the 1944 streptomycin report, though her contribution was long less widely recognized.
Streptomyces griseus: A soil bacterium that produces streptomycin, an antibiotic effective against several bacteria. Waksman and colleagues isolated streptomycin from this species.
Rutgers University: A public research university in New Jersey, founded as Queen’s College in 1766. Waksman spent most of his academic career at Rutgers, where he built his microbiology research program.
Streptomycin and the Nobel Prize dispute: A controversy over the recognition given to Albert Schatz and Selman Waksman for discovering streptomycin. The Nobel award went to Waksman alone, prompting questions about Schatz’s role in the discovery.
Actinomycin: A group of antibiotics produced by certain Streptomyces bacteria, including compounds used in cancer treatment. Waksman’s research group discovered actinomycin while exploring antimicrobial products of soil microbes.

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