Wolf V. Vishniac

Wolf Vladimir Vishniac (April 22, 1922 – December 10, 1973) was an American microbiologist. He was the son of photographer Roman Vishniac and the father of astronomer Ethan Vishniac. Educated at Brooklyn College and Stanford University, he was a professor of biology at the University of Rochester. He died on a research trip to the Antarctic attempting to retrieve equipment in a crevasse. The crater Vishniac on Mars is named in his honor.[1]

Wolf V. Vishniac
Born
Wolf Vladimir Vishniac

(1922-04-22)April 22, 1922
Berlin, Germany
DiedDecember 10, 1973(1973-12-10) (aged 51)
Asgard Range, Wright Valley, Antarctica
NationalityAmerican
SpouseHelen Vishniac
ChildrenEthan Vishniac
Parent
RelativesIlene Busch-Vishniac (daughter-in-law)
Scientific career
FieldsMicrobiology Astrobiology
InstitutionsUniversity of Rochester

Wolf Vishniac contributed greatly to the search for life on Mars by developing a special miniature laboratory that could be transported to that planet, known as the "Wolf Trap". This research was supported by a NASA grant started in 1959, the very first ever for the "biological sciences."[2]

Wolf Vishniac Memorial Award

A Wolf Vishniac Memorial Award for Young Researchers is awarded at the biennially held International Symposium On Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB).[3] The award is presented to researchers no older than 35 years who must be a first author and give a presentation at the symposium.[4] A notable recipient is Sergey Zimov, who received the award at the ISEB-10 in 1991.[5] Other recipients include M. Francesca Cotrufo at the ISEB-12 (1995),[6] Alexis S. Templeton at the ISEB-14 (1999),[7] Kamlesh Jangid at the ISEB-14 (1999),[8] Salwa Hamdi at the ISEB-19 (2009),[9] and Jillian M. Petersen at the ISEB-20 (2011).[10]

In Culture

In his 1980 TV series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, Carl Sagan told the story of Wolf Vishniac in Episode 5, "Blues for a Red Planet".

References
  1. Müller, E. A.; Jappel, A., eds. (2012), "Proceedings of the Sixteenth General Assembly Grenoble", International Astronomical Union Transactions, Springer Science & Business Media, vol. 16, no. 2, p. 325, ISBN 978-9401012577
  2. Carney, Emily (7 July 2014). "Wolf V. Vishniac, The First Human to Walk on Mars". americaspace.com. Retrieved Dec 1, 2019.
  3. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: “International Symposia On Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB).” Without date (2000/2001 ?). Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  4. Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy we Wrocławiu: “The Wolf Vishniac Memorial Award.” 2001. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  5. William S. Reeburgh: “Meeting report.” Report on the Tenth International Symposium on Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB-10). In: Geomicrobiology Journal 28 January 1992, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 73–74. (Full text at eScholarship, UC.) Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  6. M. Francesca Cotrufo: “Curriculum Vitae.” Colorado State University College of Agricultural Sciences, 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  7. Alexis S. Templeton: “Templeton Curriculum Vitae 2012.” University of Colorado Boulder, CU Experts, 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  8. Microbial Culture Collection (MCC): “Dr. Kamlesh Jangid, Ph.D.” Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, without date. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  9. Oliver Dilly, Eva Maria Pfeiffer: “Editorial. Sustainable biogeochemical cycling in soil.” In Soil Biology and Biochemistry 43(9), September 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  10. Jillian M. Petersen: “Curriculum vitae Dr. Jillian M. Petersen.” Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
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