Esther Lederberg

Esther Ledergberg was an American microbiologist and pioneer of bacterial genetics. Her notable contributions include the discovery of the lambda phage, the transfer of genes between bacteria by specialized transduction, the development of replica plating, and the discovery of the bacterial fertility factor F (F plasmid). These contributions laid the foundation for much of the genetics work done in the latter half of the twentieth century. Lederberg also founded and directed the Plasmid Reference Center at Stanford University, where she maintained, named, and distributed plasmids of many types.