Norton Zinder

Norton Zinder (born November 7, 1928) is an American biologist famous for his discovery of genetic transduction. Zinder was born in New York City, received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1969. He currently heads a laboratory at Rockefeller University.

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Genetic transduction and RNA bacteriophage

Working as a graduate student with Joshua Lederberg, Zinder discovered that bacteriophage can carry genes from one bacterium to another. Initial experiments were carried out using Salmonella. Zinder and Lederberg named this process of genetic exchange transduction.

Later, Zinder discovered the first bacteriophage that contained RNA as its genetic material.

References

• Lederberg J & Zinder N. Concentration of biochemical mutants of bacteria with penicillin. J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 70:4267-8, 1948. [1].

• Zinder N D & Lederberg J. Genetic exchange in Salmonella. J. Bacteriology 64:679-99, 1952. [2].