Of slot machines and broken test tubes

Abstract

The year 2012 was the birth centenary of the pioneer microbiologist/ molecular geneticist, Salvador Luria whose life exemplified the axiom that both brilliance and serendipity have a role in defining success. In 1943 Luria along with physicist Max Delbruck demonstrated that bacteria are ideal model organisms to address fundamental questions involving heredity, triggering the emergence of the new field of molecular genetics. Their famous Fluctuation Test carried out with the bacterium Escherichia coli provided statistical evidence for the spontaneous nature of mutations, supporting the Darwinian idea of natural selection. His observations on the role of host modification in determining bacteriophage host specificity and its epigenetic transmission ultimately led to the discovery of bacterial restriction-modification systems that opened the door to recombinant DNA technology. This article is an attempt to capture the myriad contributions to science and science education by one of the founding fathers of modern genetics.