For Esther M. Lederberg, scientific investigation was an end in itself. Esther thrilled at the experience of discovery, as well as the beauty of nature. Esther was not interested in accolades, and indeed thought that peole who were interested in fame were foolish: all the vanity would soon be forgotten. Prizes, awards, etc., held no attraction for her.

This section of the Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg Memorial Website lists some of Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg's major discoveries, making the case using published documentation, personal correspondence, and personal communications. In so doing, it also addresses false claims or misrepresentations made by Joshua Lederberg, noting when his claims are not backed up (via lack of citations, false claims or misinformation) or in other ways obfuscate the facts.

How To Use This Section

This section of the Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg Memorial Website features a grey banner area, where users can click general topics of interest, and a green navigation pane, where general topics are examined in more detail. Click the grey banner area OR scroll through the navigation pane, to find the sub-topic of interest; click the sub-topic, and the page displays in the purple text area.

Readers are referred to related information in three different ways:

• Links in text — provide information that is immediately relevant. For example, in the section about Replica Plating, one finds:
  Click here to see "Perspectives: Replica Plating and Indirect Selection of Bacterial Mutants: Isolation of Preadaptive Mutants in Bacteria by Sib Selection", by J. Lederberg [J. F. Crow and W. F. Dove, Eds.], Genetics, March 1989, 121, 395-399


• References to other parts of this section — amplify, expand upon, or substantiate the current material. For example, commentary at the top of a page examining false claims and misrepresentation about the History of Bacterial Genetics invite the reader to examine Replica Plating, Lambda Phage, Fertility Factor F, and Spontaneous Mutations, all topics available both from the grey banner and (in more detail) from the green navigation pane.


• References to other parts of the Esther M. Lederberg Memorial Website — provide information on related topics outside the scope of this section. For example, footnotes at the end of the material on Gender Discrimination point to locations such as http://www.esthermlederberg.com/Anecdotes.html#GORDON.

Note: Some of the documents in this section are intentionally displayed at several different places. For example, the same letter written by L. L. Cavalli-Sforza mentioning Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg's development of replica plating, discovery of Lambda bacteriophage and discovery of Fertility factor F, is accessible from the section on Replica Plating, the section on Lambda, and the section on Fertility factor F.

Errors of course take place, but should errors be found, they will not be found to occur systematically (thereby establishing intention to deceive). Indeed, if any error is found in this website for Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg, please contact the site administrator. Upon verification, the error will be gratefully corrected.

Major Accomplishments of Esther Miriam Zimmer Lederberg

1. Implementation of Replica Plating
2. Discovery of Bacteriophage lambda
3. Discovery of Fertility factor F (the first discovered episome)
4. Specialized transduction with lambda and generalized transduction
5. Galactosemia transduction research with M. Laurance Morse
6. Participation in the discovery of specialized transduction
7. Maltophilia transduction research with Enrico Calef et al.
8. Founding and direction of the Plasmid Reference Center
9. Consultant, Plasmid Nomenclature Committee