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virology

(Encyclopedia)virology, study of viruses and their role in disease. Many viruses, such as animal RNA viruses and viruses that infect bacteria, or bacteriophages, have become useful laboratory tools in genetic studi...

Smith, Hamilton Othanel

(Encyclopedia)Smith, Hamilton Othanel, 1931–, American biologist, b. New York City, M.D. Johns Hopkins, 1956. A professor at the Univ. of Michigan and Johns Hopkins, Smith worked with Daniel Nathans and Werner Ar...

fermented milk

(Encyclopedia)fermented milk, whole or skim milk curdled to beverage or custardlike consistency by lactic-acid-producing microorganisms. Many forms of fermented milk were used by early nomadic herders, especially i...

dysentery

(Encyclopedia)dysentery dĭsˈəntĕrˌē [key], inflammation of the intestine characterized by the frequent passage of feces, usually with blood and mucus. The two most common causes of dysentery are infection wit...

rickettsia

(Encyclopedia)rickettsia rĭkĕtˈsēə [key], any of an order (Rickettsiales) of very small microorganisms, many disease-causing, that live in vertebrates and are transmitted by bloodsucking parasitic arthropods s...

infection

(Encyclopedia)infection, invasion of plant or animal tissues by microorganisms, i.e., bacteria, viruses, viroids, fungi, rickettsias, and protozoans. The invasion of body tissues by parasitic worms and other higher...

Dubos, René Jules

(Encyclopedia)Dubos, René Jules rənāˈ zhül dübōˈ [key], 1901–82, American bacteriologist, b. France, Ph.D. Rutgers, 1927. He joined the Rockefeller Institute (now Rockefeller Univ.) in 1927 and became pro...

bacitracin

(Encyclopedia)bacitracin băsˌĭtrāˈsĭn [key], antibiotic produced by a strain of the bacterial species Bacillus subtilis. It is widely used for topical therapy such as for skin and eye infections; it is effect...

Arber, Werner

(Encyclopedia)Arber, Werner vĕrˈnər ärˈbər [key], 1929–, Swiss microbiologist. A professor at the Univ. of Geneva (1960–70) and later at the Univ. of Basel (1971–), Arber worked with Daniel Nathans and ...

liming

(Encyclopedia)liming līmˈĭng [key], application to the soil of calcium in various forms, generally as ground limestone, but also as marl, chalk, shells, or hydrated lime. Lime benefits soil by neutralizing acidi...