The Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA) sponsors the Annual History of Microbiology Lecture at the ASM General Meeting as well as Symposia and Workshops on a wide range of topics related to the history of microbiology.
Lists of Past History of Microbiology Lectures, Symposia and Workshops are available here:
Descriptions of Past Sessions are Available Below; some contain recordings (slides and audio):
2021: History of Microbiology Lecture and Other Talks: COVID in Context: A History or Viral Plagues
2021: Women in a NEW Golden Era of Microbiology
2017: History of Microbiology Sessions/Exhibits at ASM Microbe Meeting 2017
2016: History of Microbiology Sessions/Exhibits at ASM Microbe Meeting 2016
2015: CHOMA Lecture
2014: CHOMA Lecture
2013: CHOMA Lecture and Symposium -
2012: CHOMA Lecture and Symposium -
2011: CHOMA Lecture and Symposium -
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
Lecture: COVID in Context: A History of Viral Plagues
Sponsored by the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA)
June 22, 2021, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM (or on demand)
Recording Available Here: TBA
Title: COVID in Context: A History of Viral Plagues
Convener:
Melanie Armstrong
Western Colorado State University, Gunnison, CO
Description:
The Annual History of Microbiology Lecture and discussion situates the current corona crisis within the broader history of viral plagues, showing how human understandings of disease have changed through time, how viruses have changed their ecology over time, and how the two affect each other in political and cultural context. The lecture will be given by science historian Dr. Susan Jones, who uses questions around eradication and ecological control of zoonoses as an entry point to explore historic strategies to manage disease. From this historical analysis, Jones argues for ecologically-based control of zoonoses, incorporating novel technologies and applying landscape-based models to interrupt transmission while preserving ecosystems.A panel will respond with perspectives from the fields of plant pathology, anthropological genetics, and clinical microbiology, highlighting how historical knowledge can be applied to modern pandemic response. The History of Microbiology Lecture provides context to scientists to inform their daily practice, broaden their outlook and inspire a sense of continuity in the profession. Exploring the roots of this timely topic is critical and will engage attendees.
Title: COVID in Context: A History of Viral Plagues
Lecturer:
Susan D. Jones
Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
Title: Plants, Plagues and People
Lecturer:
Karen-Beth Scholthof
Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX
Title: The Most Ancient Plague in History
Lecturer:
TBA
Live Q&A
Recording Available Here:
TBA
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
Symposium: Women in a NEW Golden Era of Microbiology
Sponsored by the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA)
June 23, 2021, 6:00 AM - 7:30 AM (or on demand)
Recording Available Here: TBA
Title: Women in a NEW Golden Era of Microbiology
Convener:
Melanie Armstrong
Western Colorado State University, Gunnison, CO
Description:
The 1920s began a new era for women and for microbiology. A century ago, U.S. women gained the right to vote; historians also mark this as the end of "The Golden Era of Microbiology." This session explores ways that women liberated scientific knowledge in this NEW era, generating breakthroughs that still shape microbiology today. Learn the stories of women scientists, such as Esther Lederberg, Ruth Moore, Lynn Margulis & others; then hear from scientists who were influenced by their work.Profiling women scientists in history provides context & perspective to scientists, especially women & underrepresented groups, to broaden their outlook, inspire a sense of belonging, and encourage continued development and achievement in the science.
Title: Esther Lederberg and Her Husband Were Both Trailblazing Scientists. Why Have More People Heard of Him?
Lecturer:
TBD
Title: Lynn Margulis' Many Contributions to the Science and the Profession
Lecturer:
Joan Bennett
Rutgers, the State Univ. of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Title: Ruth Moore, the First African-American Woman to Earn a PhD in a Natural Science
Lecturer:
Marian Johnson-Thompson
Univ. of the District of Columbia, Durham, NC
Discussant:
Ellen Jo Baron
Stanford University, Los Altos, CA
Recording Available Here:
TBA
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
2017 ASM Microbe Activities
Sponsored by the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives Committee
LIVESTREAM INTERVIEW: Early African American Microbiologists – Making Contributions/Overcoming Barriers
Date: Friday, June 2, 2017
Participants:
Melanie Armstrong, Ph.D. (Interviewer), Western State Colorado University
Marian Johnson-Thompson, Ph.D., University of the District of Columbia
EXHIBIT: History of Microbiology Exhibit (3-Part Exhibit):
POSTER SESSION: Posters on the History of Microbiology
Date: Sunday, June 4, 2017
LECTURE: The Spirit of Science: Frederick Novy's Influence on Medical Education and the Profession of Microbiology
Date: Saturday, June 3, 2017
Lecturer:
Powel Kazanjian, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Description:
The 2017 Annual History Lecture assesses the legacy of Frederick Novy, charter member and 5th president of the Society of American Bacteriologists (later ASM). After training in the labs of Koch and Pasteur, he was instrumental in defining the roles of full-time researcher and educator in medical schools, emphasizing a "pure science" ideal, and establishing bacteriology as a distinct discipline. His contributions added legitimacy to the profession in the early days of American microbiology.
Questions?: Contact ASM Archivist: archives@asmusa.org
The Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA) Committee's Schedule of ASM MICROBE 2016 Meeting Events:
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
Annual History of Microbiology Lecture
Title: Alexander Fleming and the Beginnings of Biofilm Research
Lecturer: Michael J. Hanophy
St. Joseph's College, Brooklyn, NY
Date: Saturday, June 18, 2016
Time: 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
Location: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC); Meeting Room 257A
Conveners: James A. Poupard; Chair, Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives
Douglas E. Eveleigh; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lecture Description:
The 2016 History of Microbiology Lecture discusses the early work of Alexander Fleming on wound infections and what we would now call biofilm research. The history of bacteriology had been, in many ways, a history of the study of pure culture until significant research into the area of biofilms began in earnest in the 1990s. However, although the term “biofilm” did not appear in a publication until as late as 1977, the study of microbial communities attached to surfaces goes back to the earliest days of microbiology. Van Leeuwenhoek himself noted the abundance and diversity of microbes in dental plaque, while research in the 1940s by Heukelekian and Heller was among the first studies to note real differences between growth in a film and planktonic growth. Some of the earliest work on biofilms, particularly medically significant biofilms, was actually carried out by a young Alexander Fleming, long before his Nobel prize-winning work on penicillin. A review of the literature shows that Fleming authored or co-authored ten papers between 1914 and 1920 specifically on the mechanisms and treatment of infection. Among these papers are studies of the mixed flora found on soldiers’ uniforms and in different types of wounds and reports on innovative techniques that Fleming developed that allowed him to study biofilm populations. As a result of this work, Alexander Fleming was among the first to extensively characterize the diverse populations in biofilms and to recognize that organisms in a biofilm are often much more resistant to antimicrobial compounds than organisms growing planktonically. The Annual History of Microbiology Lecture is sponsored each year by the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA) to present topics in the history of microbiology and show how they have impacted and continue to influence the field of microbiology. The Lectures demonstrate that history is a critical factor for understanding the current and future directions of the science.
ASM MICROBE 2016
Boston, MA
June 16-20, 2016
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
CHOMA Symposium
Title: Foundations to Frontiers: The Molecular Revolution
Date: Sunday, June 19, 2016
Time: 2:45 pm – 5:15 pm
Location: Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel; Grand Ballroom B
Conveners: Joan W. Bennett; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lin-Jun MA; University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Symposium Description:
Every branch of the microbial sciences and clinical medicine has been transformed by our ability to exploit scientific insights into the molecular workings of life. This section will invite FIVE distinguished scientists who have made significant contributions to recent biology, including molecular cloning, DNA sequencing, and gene editing. Hearing stories from these scientists directly regarding why they chose their career paths, how they made their discoveries, and what they think about the economic, ethical and social implications of their research, will be extremely valuable for the next generation microbiologists.
Speakers/Topics:
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
History of Microbiology Exhibit - Two-part Exhibit: Significant Events in Microbiology and the Founding of Journal of Bacteriology, 1916
Visit the History of Microbiology Exhibit to view images and documents from the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives collection and interact with the ASM Archivist!
Location: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Level 1 Northwest Lobby A
ASM MICROBE 2016
Boston, MA
June 16-20, 2016
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
Sponsored by the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA)
Title: From Humor to Virus: The Microbiology of Yellow Fever in Historical Perspective
Lecturer: Mariola Espinosa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, History Department
University of Iowa
Date: Sunday, May 31, 2015
Description:
This lecture traced the history of yellow fever, a viral disease that profoundly affected New Orleans, other Gulf Coast cities, and the larger Atlantic world. It began by describing the debates among doctors and scientists that led yellow fever to be identified as a distinct disease and distinguished from other fevers. Next, it traced the history of the identification of the disease's etiology, paying particular attention to the contributions of Carlos Finlay, John Carter, Jesse Lazear, and Walter Reed, and followed the subsequent efforts to eradicate the disease. It discussed how the virus that causes yellow fever was finally identified and how a complete understanding of its ecology forced a new strategy of containment.
Click Here for information on obtaining a session recording: https://www.pathlms.com/asm/tracks/2216/events/374?per_page=25
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
Annual History of Microbiology Lecture: Presented in Honor of Martin Dworkin (1927-2014)
Sponsored by the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA)
*114th ASM General Meeting
Boston, MA
May 17-20, 2014
Recording Available Here: TBA
Title: Three Heroes of Environmental Microbiology – Robert Koch, Sergei Winogradsky and Arthur T. Henrici
Lecturer: Lawrence J. Shimkets,
Professor, Department of Microbiology
University of Georgia
Convener:
James A. Poupard
Pharma Inst. of Philadelphia, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
Chair, Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives
Description:
An important element of bacteriology’s early struggle to establish itself as a distinct biological science rather than an adjunct of pathology was the exploration of the distribution and role of microbes in the natural environment. This lecture, the annual Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA) Lecture, will focus on early developments in what later came to be known as environmental microbiology or microbial ecology. It will discuss three early contributors: Robert Koch, whose demonstration of the relationship between an environmental variable (polluted water) and an infectious disease (cholera) was an early example of microbial epidemiology; Sergei Winogradsky, whose use of enrichment cultures and pioneering work on sulfur oxidizing and nitrifying bacteria helped illuminate the vast and dynamic role of bacteria in nature; and Arthur T. Henrici, who first understood that in natural aquatic communities bacteria flourish on surfaces as well as freely in water, thus laying the groundwork for later biofilm studies.
Recording Available Here:
TBA
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
2013 General Meeting Activities Sponsored by the Center for the History of Microbiology/ASM Archives (CHOMA) Committee
2013 History of Microbiology Lecture:
Accomplishments and Legacy of the Soviet Biological Weapons Program, 1928-1992
Raymond A. Zilinskas
Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, CA
The session’s main objective is to describe and explain the Soviet Union’s biological warfare (BW) program as directed against humans, from its origins in the late 1920s to the USSR’s dissolution in December 1991, paying special attention to its accomplishments related to weaponized bacterial and viral pathogens. The session will also clarify the possible threats that the program’s remnants, as lodged in present day Russian Ministry of Defense’s secret biological research institutes, pose to world peace.
2013 CHOMA History Symposium:
Early Microbe Hunters Overcoming Biases and Barriers
The earliest microbiologists were nearly all men with roots in European culture. Nevertheless, from its earliest years, microbiology has attracted many remarkable women and minorities who had to overcome unusual hurdles in order to become professionals. Nowadays we work to attract and retain diverse populations into scientific careers. By studying the history of our profession and by examining the motivations, experiences and educational paths that allowed pioneer “outsider” microbiologists to overcome the biases and barriers inherent in the culture of microbiology, we can learn lessons that can be applied to contemporary recruitment and retention efforts. We can also learn the significance of diversity in advancing microbiology.
Conveners:
Joan W. Bennett, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Marian Johnson-Thompson, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC
Co-sponsors:
Committee on the Status of Women in Microbiology
Committee on Microbiological Issues Impacting Minorities
Underrepresented Members Committee
Presentations:
1. How Fungi Brought Me to a Brighter Future
Arturo Casadevall, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY
2. Long Before a Committee on the Status of Women in Microbiology, There Was A. C. Evans
Lorraine A. Findlay, Nassau County Community College and University Medical Center, Garden City, NY
Long Before a Committee on the Status of Women in Microbiology, there was A. C. Evans from ASM on Vimeo.
3. Putting a New Face on the ASM Presidency
Clifford W. Houston, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
4. Motivations and Mind Sets of “Model Minorities”
Alice S. Huang, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
5. Role Models of the Past: William Hinton, Ruth Moore and Others
Marian Johnson-Thompson, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC
History of Microbiology Exhibit:
Alice Catherine Evans (1881-1975), the First Woman to Serve as President of the Society of American Bacteriologists (now ASM)
The Center for the History of Microbiology / ASM Archives (CHOMA) Exhibit explores the long, successful (and sometimes contentious) career of Alice Catherine Evans (1881-1975), the first woman to serve as President of the Society of American Bacteriologists (now ASM), who made substantial contributions to dairy and medical bacteriology. For more information on this exhibit, contact the ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
Click Here for Slide Show of Exhibit Materials: Alice Evans - First Woman President of ASM (formerly SAB) - Slide Show
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
A Century of Bacteriophages
Bacteriophages were first recognized by Felix d’Herelle in 1916, but his first encounter with their effects was in 1911-1912 when he noted “cultural irregularities” of interest when he was studying Coccobacillus acridiorum. Thus, one can reasonably claim that 2012 might be the centennial of the bacteriophage phenomenon. The history of phage is one that is embedded in the study of epizootics: phage are infections of bacterial populations. This early focus quickly led d’Herelle to employ them as antibacterial agents, just as he was using C. acridiorum as an anti-locust epizootic infection. The first third of the century of phage was devoted to this therapeutic application of these biological antibiotics. In the middle third of its history, phage were studied as biological objects in their own right. The “nature” of phage was central to the development of modern molecular biology and understanding of the so-called “central dogma.” Phages have played a central role in gene engineering and biotechnology, based on this knowledge. In more recent years, attention has returned to the role phages play in diseases and large and small ecosystems. This lecture will provide a chronology of the past century of phage research, but also highlight changing emphasis, changing styles of research, and changing importance of research questions, all related to the ubiquitous bacteriophage.
A Century of Bacteriophages from ASM on Vimeo.
The Culture of Rice: From Farm to Fermentation
This Symposium focuses on the history of microbiology using rice as the “driver,” and covers global issues in agriculture, nutrition, microbiology, and fermentation. Using the Pacific-Rim as a starting point, the Symposium elaborates on the expansive use and culture of rice, the primary source of calories and nutrition for almost half the world population. The historical and cultural significance of rice and its uses, from basic food to fermented products including sake, is examined. The importance of rice in understanding host innate immunity, nutritionally beneficial genetic engineering, and the development and use of fermented foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals is discussed. This Symposium provides a broadly ranging discourse that should be of interest to ASM members associated with education, outreach or research in the areas of food microbiology, biotechnology, host-pathogen interactions, fermentation, and the history of microbiology.
Symposium Convener:
Karen-Beth G. Scholthof (Texas A&M University, College Station, TX)
Symposium Speakers:
1. Introduction and General Historical Perspective
Karen-Beth G. Scholthof (Texas A&M University, College Station, TX)
2. Jokichi Takamine: Aspergillus oryzae from Farm to Pharma (Recording Currently Unavailable)
Joan W. Bennett (Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ)
3. The History and Culture of Sake: Rice Wine Fermentation
Izumi Motai (Takara Sake, Berkeley, CA)
History of Sake and Sake Culture from ASM on Vimeo.
4. Golden Rice: The Rationale for It and the Science Behind It (Recording Currently Unavailable)
Francis X. Cunningham, Jr. (University of Maryland, College Park, MD)
5. Towards a Better Bowl of Rice: The Molecular Basis of Disease Resistance
Pamela C. Ronald (University of California-Davis, Davis, CA)
Towards a Better Bowl of Rice from ASM on Vimeo.
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org
2011 History of Microbiology Lecture:
Death in a Small Package: Anthrax, History, and Microbiology
Susan D. Jones
University of Minnesota, St. Paul-Minneapolis
During the 1860s-1910s, a terrible disease killed many workers in British wool factories. The disease turned out to be inhalational anthrax. This lecture describes the intense scientific and public health investigations that discovered how "woolsorters disease" had spread globally and from animals to humans. Historical research is combined with recent genomic studies of Bacillus anthracis' geographical distribution over the past two hundred years. Finally, the lecture proposes the nineteenth-century "woolsorters disease" outbreaks as a key determinant in the development of B. anthracis as a biological weapon agent.
ASM2011 - History Lecture - Death in a Small Package: Anthrax, History, and Microbiology - Susan D. Jones, DVM, Ph.D. from ASM on Vimeo.
Bacillus anthracis for War and Terrorism: A Continuing Story
This symposium starts with a clarification of why Bacillus anthracis has been favored by all national biological warfare programs of the 20th Century, the next two presentations focus on issues more relevant to today's threats as posed by lone operators and subnational actors, as exemplified by the "Amerithrax" case, and approaches for solving such cases. The last presentation makes an argument for incorporating certain ethical issues that have so far been missing in the training of microbiologists, including the teaching of aspects of international law and mores that seek to prevent misuse of science.
Symposium Conveners:
James A. Poupard (Pharma Institute of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA) and
Raymond A. Zilinskas (Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, CA)
Symposium Speakers:
1. Bacillus anthracis as a Biological Weapon Agent
Raymond A. Zilinskas (Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, CA)
2. Reacting to Biological Threats: "Amerithrax" (recording currently unavailable)
Douglas J. Beecher (Federal Bureau of Investigation, Quantico VA)
3. Applications of Bioforensics to Bioterrorism Investigations
Paul Keim (Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ)
4. Incorporating Issues Pertaining to the Misuse of Applied Microbiology into an Academic Curriculum
Michael J. Imperiale (University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI)
Any Questions? Contact ASM Archivist at archives@asmusa.org