Scientist of the day -Frank Macfarlane Burnet

Deemed to be the greatest scientist produced by Australia, Frank Macfarlane Burnet gave sixty years of his life to human science, discovering and researching human infectious diseases. Starting off with microbiology, he branched out into the fields of bacteriology, followed by virology and immunology. He pioneered in the study of autoimmune conditions, where a disease is caused by the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues, and application of ecological principles to viral diseases. His initial experiments and work paved way for developments in various medical areas, such as vaccines, tissue transplantation, and monoclonal antibody and associated therapies. This scientific genius gained recognition globally with several Australian and international awards to his credit, most importantly the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. His work on virus growing processes in hen’s eggs still serves as the basis for producing vaccines for influenza in the modern times. His contributions to Australian science won him the title of the first Australian of the Year. Apart from making great discoveries and performing experiments, he also wrote a large number of books and delivered lectures on various problem areas of human biology and human affairs, cancer and ageing. 

Childhood & Early Life

Frank Macfarlane Burnet was born on September 3, 1899 in Traralgon, eastern Victoria, as the second of seven kids, to Scottish emigrants Frank Burnet and Hadassah Burnet.

Major Discoveries

• In 1934, he discovered the causal organisms of psittacosis and Q fever as Rickettsia burnetii, and performed studies on poliovirus, herpes simplex virus, and epidemiology.
• In 1956, his increased interest in Niels Kaj Jerne’s natural selection hypothesis led to the development of clonal selection, thus forming one of the concepts of immunology, known as Burnet’s clonal selection theory.

  Awards & Achievements

  • The Royal Society honored him with the Royal Medal in 1947 and Copley Medal in 1959, for his contribution in the field of virology.
  • He received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, in 1952, and the Order of Merit at the Queen’s Birthday Honors, in 1958.
  • In 1960, he was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine shared with Sir Peter Medawar, for discovering acquired immunological tolerance, a concept which led to the invention of tissue transplantation.
  • He received the Australian of the Year award in 1960 and a Gold and Silver Star from the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun in 1961.
  • At the 1969 New Year Honors, he became a recipient of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
  • He received the Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal in 1977 and became the fourth person to be knighted by the Order of Australia in 1978.
  • He served as the President at the International Association of Microbiological Societies (1953-57), Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (1957), and Australian Academy of Science (1955-59).
  • He obtained ten honorary degrees from various esteemed universities and colleges, including Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, Hahnemann Medical College, Medical University of South Carolina, and University of Melbourne.

   

  Trivia

  Under his able guidance, various notable virologists, like Gordon Ada, Stephen Fazekas de St. Groth, Alick Isaacs, and Frank Fenner contributed in different areas, such as Murray Valley encephalitis, poxviruses, influenza and herpes.