Esther Lederberg Scientist

Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg (December 18, 1922 – November 11, 2006) was an American microbiologist and a pioneer of bacterial genetics. Notable contributions include the discovery of the bacterial virus λ, the transfer of genes between bacteria by specialized transduction, the development of replica plating, and the discovery of the bacterial fertility factor F.Lederberg also founded and directed the now defunct Plasmid Reference Center at Stanford University, where she maintained, named, and distributed plasmids of many types, including those coding for antibiotic resistance, heavy metal resistance, virulence, conjugation, colicins, transposons, and other unknown factors.

Personal facts

Birth date	December 18, 1922
Birth name	Esther Miriam Zimmer
Birth place	The Bronx
Date of death	November 11, 2006
Education	Hunter College Stanford University University of Wisconsin–Madison
Known for	Lambda phage Replica plating Transduction (genetics) Fertility factor