A Physicist's Quest in Biology: Max Delbrück and "Complementarity".

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2017
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Abstract
Max Delbrück was trained as a physicist but made his major contribution in biology and ultimately shared a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was the acknowledged leader of the founders of molecular biology, yet he failed to achieve his key scientific goals. His ultimate scientific aim was to find evidence for physical laws unique to biology: so-called "complementarity." He never did. The specific problem he initially wanted to solve was the nature of biological replication but the discovery of the mechanism of replication was made by others, in large part because of his disdain for the details of biochemistry. His later career was spent investigating the effect of light on the fungus , a topic that turned out to be of limited general interest. He was known both for his informality but also for his legendary displays of devastating criticism. His life and that of some of his closest colleagues was acted out against a background of a world in conflict. This essay describes the man and his career and searches for an explanation of his profound influence.
Reference Key
strauss2017agenetics Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Strauss, Bernard S;
Journal Genetics
Year 2017
DOI
10.1534/genetics.117.201517
URL
Keywords
complementarity bacteriophage delbrück hershey luria microbial genetics replication

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