MARTINUS WILLEM BEIJERINCK

MARTINUS WILLEM BEIJERINCK

·       Martinus Willem Beijerinck was a Dutch Microbiologist and Botanist.

·       Martinus Beijerinck described the Biological Nitrogen Fixation in plants by microorganisms.

·       Martinus Beijerinck isolated

ü  Free-living nitrogen fixing bacterium (Azotobacter from soil)

ü  Denitrifying bacterium Bacillus sphaerosporus and Bacillus nitrous (which convert soil nitrates to free atmospheric nitrogen)

ü  Root nodulating bacterium (Bacillus radicicola - later classified as a type of Rhizobium leguminosarum) (in 1988)

ü  Sulphur reducing bacteria Spirillum desulfuricans

ü  Sulfate producing Thiobacillus sp. and its Chemoautotrophic nature

ü  Hydrogen sulfide producing Aerobacter sp.

ü  Sarcina ventriculi in media of high acidicity at anaerobic conditions

ü  Luminescent bacteria Phutobacterium zuminosum

ü  Yeast Schizosaccharomyces octoporus from Raisins

ü  Pure cultures of Algae, Zoochlorellae, and Gunidia of lichens.

ü  Tobacco Mosaic Virus

·       Martinus Beijerinck discovered the Saccharolytic enzyme Lactase from Saccharomyces tyrucola.

·    Martinus Beijerinck introduced the generic name Acetobacter, described pigment-producing Acetobacter melanogenum, and studied Butyric acid and Butyl alcohol fermentation.

·       Martinus Beijerinck studied

ü  Urea decomposition by microorganisms

ü  Microbial variations (Mutations)

ü  Oxygen relationships among bacteria

ü  Phyllotaxis (arrangement of leaves on plant stems)

ü  The fungus Clasterusporium carpophilum (later named Clasterusporium belijernick) as the potent cause of Gummosis (disease of fruit trees)

·       At the end of the 19^th century, the Tobacco mosaic disease destroyed his Tobacco plants. At the time, it was thought that the plants were affected by bacteria or toxins. Martinus Beijerinck's research quickly ruled out the poison option. Healthy plants could get sick from the sap of diseased plants, even if this sap was filtered against bacteria. This meant there was a smaller pathogen than a bacterium that could pass through the filter. Beijerinck initially called this a "contagium vivum fluidum" which means "living infectious fluid". Beijerinck later used the word "virus", which at that time had the broad meaning "sickening things".  

·       Martinus Beijerinck stated that virus propagation was only possible in other living cells. He discovered that the Mosaic disease could not reproduce outside the plant, and the virus in the plant only multiplied in the growing parts.

·       Martinus Beijerinck contributed to the understanding of Lactic acid bacteria involved in producing kefir and yogurt. He demonstrated the significance of a Catalase-negative reaction and proposed the generic name Lactobacillus.

·       Martinus Beijerinck made major contributions to Microbiology by developing the “Enrichment Culture Technique”, simultaneously with Sergey Winogradsky, which permits the isolation of highly specialized microorganisms.

·       Martinus Beijerinck also proposed Selective culture technique using Selective medium.

·       Martinus Beijerinck was regarded as the founder of Virology and Environmental Microbiology so he is familiarly known as Father of Virology and Father of Environmental Microbiology.