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Biographical Memoirs Volume 60 (1991) / Chapter Skim
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4. John Franklin Enders
Pages 46-65

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From page 47...
... shifted once again, this time to the problem of viral host-cell resistance and viral oncogenesis the subject of the final segment of a magnificently productive investigative career. EDUCATION AND EARLY CAREER John Franklin Enders was born February 10, IS97, in West Hartford, Connecticut.
From page 48...
... The family also maintained contacts with luminaries in the field of literature, in particular handling the financial affairs of Mark Twain, whose spotless white suits impressed the young lad when the famous author · . vlsltec ,.
From page 49...
... In 1927 he married Sarah Frances Bennett. That same notable year he began a doctoral program in bacteriology under Hans Zinsser at the Harvard Medical School the move that initiated his illustrious scientific career.
From page 50...
... Weller (then a senior medical students undertook a research project under Enders cultivating vaccinia virus in roller cultures of .
From page 51...
... Thereafter, though his contact with Harvard Medical School was limited to one or two lectures a year, he was promoted to full professor in 1956 and named University Professor in 1962- a title he held until 1967, when he became University Professor Emeritus. Enders's unique personal magnetism in the laboratory arose from the pleasure he took in discussions with his associates.
From page 52...
... a constant source of support, participating socially and scientifically in the subsequent events of her husbancl's life. An autobiographical note written in 1953 lists carpentry,
From page 53...
... He obtained evidence that serum complement expedited phagocytosis of pneumococci. His final paper of this period appeared in 1937 and recorded that inactive mixtures of pneumococci and homologous antisera regained virulence on dilution.
From page 54...
... Shaffer developec! an indicator system using counts of foci on the chorio-alIantoic membrane of the developing chick embryo.
From page 55...
... At that time, although the viral etiology of mumps hall been established using monkeys as the host, there were no diagnostic tests or techniques to assess susceptibility. Developing a complement fixation test that satisfied these deficiencies, Enclers's group clemonstrated that the intradermal injection of killer!
From page 56...
... Serial passage in vitro was readily accomplishecl. At Enders's suggestion, Robbins who was interested in using tissue cultures to identify a viral etiology of infantile diarrhea—used cultures of intestinal tissue obtained at the autopsy of a premature human infant anct obtained similar results.
From page 57...
... Dr. Arne Svedmyr and Ann Holloway, Enders's assistant, developecl a complement fixation test for poliomyelitis using concentrated infected culture fluids as antigen.
From page 58...
... Anna Mitus, Enclers showed that cultures of human amnion cells supporter! growth of measles virus and that the virus could be propagated in chick embryos.
From page 59...
... Though his cultivation of poliomyelitis viruses garnered Enders, Weller, and Robbins the 1954 Nobel Prize, Enders later wrote that this work on measles was more personally satisfying to him and more socially significant. Virus and Host Cell: Interferon and Viral Oncogenesis (1959-1976)
From page 60...
... that, though naturally resistant, cultures of hamster ant! chick embryo cells would support growth of the poliovirus if they were fused in the presence of Sendai virus killed by irradiation or beta-propriolactone.
From page 61...
... Mrs. Carolyn Enders kindly provided additional material and access to bound volumes of Dr.
From page 62...
... Honorary doctoral degrees from thirteen universities.
From page 63...
... The prolonged coexistence ot vaccinia virus in high titre and living cells in roller tube cultures of chick embryonic tissues.
From page 64...
... Mitus. Cultivation of measles virus in human amnion cells and in the developing chick embryo.
From page 65...
... DeLay, et al. Clinical and immune response of alien hosts to inoculation with measles, rinderpest, and canine distemper virus.


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