Joshua Lederberg
Scientists

Joshua Lederberg Net Worth

Joshua Lederberg was an American geneticist who won the 1958 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering the mechanisms of genetic recombination in bacteria. Born in New Jersey, he initially wanted to pursue a medical degree, but soon realized that experimenting was more interesting and left to join Edward L. Tatum at the University of Stanford. There, he established that E-coli bacteria can reproduce sexually and was awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery at the age of thirty-three. He also established that genetic material could be moved from one strain of the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium to another using bacteriophage as an intermediary step. In addition, Lederberg also did extensive research on artificial intelligence and contributed to the development of Dendral, a pioneer project in artificial intelligence.
Joshua Lederberg is a member of Scientists

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Geneticist
Birth Day May 23, 1925
Birth Place Montclair, New Jersey, United States, United States
Age 95 YEARS OLD
Died On February 2, 2008(2008-02-02) (aged 82)\nNew York City
Birth Sign Gemini
Preceded by Frederick Seitz
Succeeded by David Baltimore
Cause of death pneumonia
Spouse(s) Esther Miriam Zimmer (1946–1966; divorced) Marguerite Stein Kirsch (1968–2008; 1 child, 1 stepchild)
Alma mater Stuyvesant High School Columbia University Yale University
Known for Neurospora crassa Bacterial conjugation Dendral Astrobiology Transduction
Awards Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1958) National Medal of Science (1989) Presidential Medal of Freedom (2006)
Fields Microbiologist
Thesis Genetic recombination in Escherichia coli (1947)
Doctoral advisor Edward Tatum
Doctoral students Norton Zinder

💰 Net worth

Joshua Lederberg, one of the prominent geneticists in the United States, has left an indelible mark on the field of genetics. As of 2024, his net worth is estimated to be between $100K - $1M. Throughout his career, Lederberg contributed significantly to the understanding of microbial genetics and received numerous accolades, including the Nobel Prize. His groundbreaking research has undoubtedly shaped the future of genetic advancements. Despite his tremendous contributions to the scientific community, he remains modest with a net worth that reflects his dedication to his work rather than material wealth.

Biography/Timeline

1925

Lederberg was born in Montclair, New Jersey, to a Jewish family, son of Esther Goldenbaum Schulman Lederberg and Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Lederberg, in 1925, and moved to Washington Heights, Manhattan as an infant. He had two younger brothers. Lederberg graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City at the age of 15 in 1941. After graduation, he was allowed lab space as part of the American Institute Science Laboratory, a forerunner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. He enrolled in Columbia University in 1941, majoring in zoology. Under the mentorship of Francis J. Ryan, he conducted biochemical and genetic studies on the bread mold Neurospora crassa. Intending to receive his MD and fulfill his military Service obligations, Lederberg worked as a hospital corpsman during 1943 in the clinical pathology laboratory at St. Albans Naval Hospital, where he examined sailors' blood and stool samples for malaria. He went on to receive his undergraduate degree in 1944.

1946

Lederberg married fellow scientist Esther Miriam Zimmer in 1946; they divorced in 1966. He married Psychiatrist Marguerite Stein Kirsch in 1968. He was survived by Marguerite, their daughter, Anne Lederberg, and his stepson, David Kirsch.

1950

Throughout his career, Lederberg was active as a scientific advisor to the U.S. government. Starting in 1950, he was a member of various panels of the Presidential Science Advisory Committee. In 1979, he became a member of the U.S. Defense Science Board and the chairman of President Jimmy Carter's President's Cancer Panel. In 1989, he received National Medal of Science for his contributions to the scientific world. In 1994, he headed the Department of Defense's Task Force on Persian Gulf War Health Effects, which investigated Gulf War Syndrome.

1951

Joshua Lederberg and Norton Zinder showed in 1951 that genetic material could be transferred from one strain of the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium to another using viral material as an intermediary step. This process is called transduction. In 1956, M. Laurance Morse, Esther Lederberg and Joshua Lederberg also discovered specialized transduction. The research in specialized transduction focused upon lambda phage infection of E. coli. Transduction and specialized transduction explained how bacteria of different species could gain resistance to the same antibiotic very quickly.

1956

During her time in Joshua Lederberg's laboratory, Esther Lederberg also discovered fertility factor F, later publishing with Joshua Lederberg and Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza. In 1956, the Society of Illinois Bacteriologists simultaneously awarded Joshua Lederberg and Esther Lederberg the Pasteur Medal, for "their outstanding contributions to the fields of microbiology and genetics".

1957

In 1957, Joshua Lederberg founded the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has held visiting professorship in Bacteriology at the University of California, Berkeley in summer 1950 and University of Melbourne (1957). Also in 1957, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

1958

In 1958, Joshua Lederberg received the Nobel Prize and moved to Stanford University, where he was the founder and chairman of the Department of Genetics. He collaborated with Frank Macfarlane Burnet to study viral antibodies. With the launching of Sputnik in 1957, Lederberg became concerned about the biological impact of space exploration. In a letter to the National Academies of Sciences, he outlined his concerns that extraterrestrial microbes might gain entry to Earth onboard spacecraft, causing catastrophic diseases. He also argued that, conversely, microbial contamination of manmade satellites and probes may obscure the search for extraterrestrial life. He advised quarantine for returning astronauts and equipment and sterilization of equipment prior to launch. Teaming up with Carl Sagan, his public advocacy for what he termed exobiology helped expand the role of biology in NASA.

1960

In the 1960s, he collaborated with Edward Feigenbaum in Stanford's computer science department to develop DENDRAL.

1978

In 1978, he became the President of Rockefeller University, until he stepped down in 1990 and became professor-emeritus of molecular genetics and informatics at Rockefeller University, reflecting his extensive research and publications in these disciplines.

2013

Instead of returning to Columbia to finish his medical degree, Lederberg chose to accept an offer of an assistant professorship in genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His wife Esther Lederberg went with him to Wisconsin. She received her doctorate there in 1950.

Some Joshua Lederberg images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.