# Selman Abraham Waksman

> American scientist, biochemist, microbiologist who discovered Streptomycin and many antibiotics

**Wikidata**: [Q232308](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q232308)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selman_Waksman)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/selman-abraham-waksman

## Summary
Selman Abraham Waksman was an American scientist, biochemist and microbiologist best known for discovering streptomycin and for identifying multiple antibiotics. He was a university researcher and teacher whose work established antibiotics effective against tuberculosis and shaped 20th‑century antibiotic research.

## Biography
- Born: 22 July 1888
- Died: 16 August 1973
- Nationality / Citizenship: United States; Russian Empire; Soviet Union
- Education: (no human-readable institution names provided in the source material)
- Known for: Discovery of streptomycin and discovery/identification of many antibiotics
- Employer(s): Rutgers University; University of California, Berkeley
- Field(s): Biochemistry; Microbiology
- Occupation(s): Biologist; Biochemist; Microbiologist; University teacher; Inventor; Pharmacologist; Chemist; Botanist; Autobiographer; Physician

## Contributions
- Discovery of streptomycin — identified as an antibiotic and cited in the source as "the discovery of streptomycin by Selman Abraham Waksman, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis." The discovery is presented as a concrete scientific outcome that changed tuberculosis treatment and antibiotic research.
- Discovery/identification of "many antibiotics" — the source repeatedly attributes multiple antibiotic discoveries to Waksman beyond streptomycin.
- Research and academic leadership at Rutgers University and the University of California, Berkeley — affiliated with and employed by these research universities, where he carried out the microbiological and biochemical work leading to antibiotic discoveries.
- Namesake recognition: the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology (an award conferred by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences) exists in his name, indicating a formal, ongoing contribution to the discipline through a legacy prize.
- Recognition and induction into invention and science honor institutions — his achievements led to induction/recognition by bodies such as the National Inventors Hall of Fame (listed among his recognitions).

Note: the source material lists multiple bibliographic and authority identifiers for Waksman (examples below in Body). Specific paper titles, patent numbers, publication years for his primary discoveries, and the founding of any companies are not provided in the supplied material.

## FAQs
Q: What did Selman A. Waksman discover?
A: He discovered streptomycin and is credited with discovering many antibiotics; streptomycin is cited in the source as the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis.

Q: Where did Waksman carry out his research and teaching?
A: He was affiliated with Rutgers University and the University of California, Berkeley, and is described in the source as a university teacher and researcher working in biochemistry and microbiology.

Q: What major awards and honors did he receive or that reference him?
A: The source lists multiple recognitions associated with him, including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (listed among awards), the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, the Leeuwenhoek Medal, the John Scott Award, honorary doctorates (University of Madrid Complutense, University of Toulouse, University of Strasbourg, Caen University), the Amory Prize, induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and an NAS award named in his honor (Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology).

Q: Is there an award named after Selman Waksman?
A: Yes. The Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology is conferred by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and is listed in the source material as a namesake award.

Q: What professional organizations and academies was he associated with?
A: The source indicates memberships and associations with major academies including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Q: When was Selman A. Waksman born and when did he die?
A: He was born on 22 July 1888 and died on 16 August 1973.

## Why They Matter
Selman A. Waksman's work changed the practice of infectious‑disease medicine and the course of microbiology. The discovery of streptomycin — cited in the source as the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis — provided a concrete therapeutic option for a major global disease and demonstrated that soil microorganisms could be a source of clinically useful antibiotics. That validation expanded the search for antimicrobial compounds and established systematic antibiotic screening and microbial natural‑product research as central pillars of pharmaceutical microbiology and biochemistry. His career at major research universities (Rutgers and UC Berkeley) embedded these research programs in academic settings, trained students and collaborators in antibiotic discovery methods, and created institutional momentum that produced subsequent antibiotics and ongoing research programs. The creation of an NAS award bearing his name, his induction into invention and science honor institutions, and the numerous high‑level awards listed in the source all reflect both immediate clinical impact and long‑term influence on scientific practice, funding priorities, and the recognition of microbiology as a discipline central to public health and drug discovery.

Without Waksman's discoveries and the research programs he led, antibacterial chemotherapy for tuberculosis and other infections would have developed differently and more slowly; the systematic exploration of soil actinomycetes and related microbes as antibiotic sources might not have achieved the same prominence at the same time. The honors named for him and the preservation of his work in academic and national institutions indicate that later generations of microbiologists, pharmacologists, and chemists continued to build on the experimental and screening paradigms associated with his research.

## Notable For
- Discovery of streptomycin, identified in the source as the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis.
- Identification and discovery of many antibiotics (source repeatedly attributes multiple antibiotics to him).
- Awarded or associated with high honors listed in the source: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research; Leeuwenhoek Medal; John Scott Award; Amory Prize.
- Recipient of multiple honorary doctorates named in the source: University of Madrid Complutense; University of Toulouse; University of Strasbourg; Caen University.
- Namesake of the Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology (conferred by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences).
- Inductee/recognized by the National Inventors Hall of Fame (listed in the source).
- Long‑term research and teaching affiliations with Rutgers University and the University of California, Berkeley.
- Member of prestigious academies cited in the source: National Academy of Sciences; American Academy of Arts and Sciences; German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina; Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
- Prolific presence in bibliographic and authority databases (multiple identifiers and library records listed in the provided material).

## Body

### Early life and identity
- Born 22 July 1888; died 16 August 1973. The source lists multiple national affiliations / citizenships: United States; Russian Empire; Soviet Union.
- The source lists numerous name variants and aliases used in bibliographic records: Selman Waksman; Selman A. Waksman; Selman A Waksman; S. A. Waksman; S.A. Waksman; S A Waksman; SA Waksman; and the family name Waksman.

### Academic affiliations and employment
- Rutgers University: listed among his principal affiliations and employers in the source material. Rutgers is identified as a multi‑campus public research university in New Jersey founded in 1766.
- University of California, Berkeley: listed as another institutional affiliation and employer. UC Berkeley is identified as a public university founded in 1868.
- The source designates him explicitly as a university teacher and a researcher operating in biochemistry and microbiology at these institutions.

### Fields of work and occupations
- Primary research fields named in the source: Biochemistry and Microbiology.
- Occupations attributed to him in the source include biologist, biochemist, microbiologist, university teacher, inventor, pharmacologist, chemist, botanist, autobiographer, and physician.
- The source frames his work as bridging chemistry and biology, consistent with biochemistry and applied microbiology for drug discovery.

### Scientific contributions and research outcomes
- Streptomycin: The source explicitly names Selman A. Waksman as the discoverer of streptomycin and highlights that streptomycin is "the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis." This is a central, repeatedly cited contribution in the source material and represents a concrete therapeutic outcome from his research.
- Multiple antibiotics: Beyond streptomycin, the source states that Waksman discovered "many antibiotics," indicating a sustained program of antibiotic discovery and identification rooted in microbial natural‑product research.
- Institutional research impact: His research activities are tied to his affiliations at Rutgers University and UC Berkeley, where his laboratory work produced the discoveries for which he is best known.

### Honors, awards, and recognition
- Awards listed in the source that are associated with Waksman include:
  - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (listed among his awards in the provided material).
  - Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.
  - Leeuwenhoek Medal.
  - John Scott Award.
  - Amory Prize.
  - National Inventors Hall of Fame induction/recognition.
  - Multiple honorary doctorates named in the source: University of Madrid Complutense; University of Toulouse; University of Strasbourg; Caen University.
- Namesake award:
  - Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology — an award conferred by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences that bears his name, reflecting the enduring professional recognition of his contributions to microbiology.

### Memberships and professional societies
- The source lists membership and association with major learned societies and academies:
  - National Academy of Sciences (United States).
  - American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
  - German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
  - Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

### Legacy and institutional commemoration
- Continuing recognition: The presence of a named NAS award (Selman A. Waksman Award in Microbiology) commemorates his scientific legacy and channels ongoing recognition to contemporary researchers.
- Institutional legacy: His long affiliations with Rutgers University and UC Berkeley in research and teaching helped institutionalize antibiotic discovery programs and student training in microbiology and biochemistry.
- Honors and prizes held by or named after him appear across national and international institutions, underlining a lasting cross‑border impact on medical microbiology and pharmaceutical science.

### Bibliographic and authority identifiers (selected items from the source)
The source lists extensive bibliographic identifiers and database entries for Selman A. Waksman. Selected identifiers included in the provided material are:
- ISNI: 0000000116633441
- VIAF: 67250243
- Freebase ID: /m/035g29
- LCCN: n50026989 (Library of Congress Control Number)
- Wikipedia title: Selman_Abraham_Waksman
- Multiple other identifiers and library records are listed in the source material (numerous P‑properties and catalog numbers).

### Publications and autobiographical record
- The source classifies him among occupations that include "autobiographer," indicating he authored at least an autobiographical work according to the provided material; specific titles and publication years are not included in the supplied content.
- The source includes links and catalog entries (bibliographic identifiers) that point to published materials and archival records, but detailed bibliographic data (individual paper titles, dates, journal names) are not provided in the text given.

### Influence on microbiology and biochemistry
- The source calls out Waksman's discovery of streptomycin within a broader microbiology context that lists that discovery as a pivotal event. Streptomycin's identification as the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis marks a turning point summarized by the source: it validated antibiotic therapy for TB and demonstrated the drug‑discovery potential of microbial screening.
- His impact is reflected in the formal honors listed in the source, institutional awards named for him, and his presence in major national and international academies.

### Archival presence and data footprint
- The provided material shows that Waksman's life and work are recorded across many national and international reference systems (library catalogs, authority files, and academic databases), evidenced by the numerous identifiers and catalog numbers listed in the structured properties.

### Summary of available factual limits
- The supplied source material contains many structured property identifiers and institutional connections but does not include some typical publication‑level details (specific paper titles and publication years) or explicit textual descriptions of laboratory methods, personnel rosters, or the exact dates of specific discoveries beyond the life dates. All statements above adhere to the information explicitly present in the provided material.

## References

1. BnF authorities
2. Integrated Authority File
3. International Plant Names Index
4. [1948 Winners. Lasker Foundation](http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/1948basic.htm)
5. [Source](https://thejohnscottaward.github.io/jsc/1901-1950.html)
6. Nouvelles du jour. Le Monde. 1950
7. [The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1952. nobelprize.org](https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1952/summary/)
8. [Table showing prize amounts. Nobel Foundation. 2019](https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2019/04/prize-amounts-2020.pdf)
9. [Source](http://www3.huji.ac.il/htbin/hon_doc/doc_search.pl?search)
10. Nouvelles brèves. Le Monde. 1958
11. [Source](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/jo/id/JORFCONT000000019140)
12. National Inventors Hall of Fame
13. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selman_Waksman)
14. International Standard Name Identifier
15. Virtual International Authority File
16. CiNii Research
17. NNDB
18. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
19. SNAC
20. Find a Grave
21. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
22. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
23. Munzinger Personen
24. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
25. nobelprize.org
26. Catalogo of the National Library of India