Orville Wyss Explained

Orville Wyss (September 10, 1912, Medford, Wisconsin – November 11, 1993, Brush, Colorado) was an American microbiologist. He was the president of the American Society for Microbiology in 1965.

Biography

Wyss graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a B.S. in 1937, an M.S. in 1938, and a Ph.D. in 1941. His Ph.D. thesis is entitled The mechanism of biological nitrogen fixation: comparison of the symbiotic and non-symbiotic systems.^[1] From 1941 to 1945 he was a research bacteriologist employed by Wallace & Tiernan Products, Inc.^[2] In the department of microbiology of the University of Texas at Austin, he was an associate professor from 1945 to 1948 and a full professor from 1948 to 1983, when he retired as professor emeritus. He chaired the department from 1959 to 1969 and again from 1975 to 1976. He supervised the doctoral dissertations of about 70 graduate students, 10 of whom eventually chaired their own microbiology departments.^[3]

During his employment by the Wallace & Tiernan Company, he was instrumental in the development of Desenex.^{[4] [5]} He did research on bacterial nitrogen fixation and the physiology and genetics of bacteria.^[2] From 1962 to 1963 he worked at McMurdo Station as a biologist for the United States Antarctic Research Program.^[6]

Wyss was elected in 1953 a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.^[7] In 1967 the United States Board of Geographic Names named Mount Wyss in his honor.^[8] He was a Fulbright fellow in 1971 in Australia and in 1978 in Nepal.^[9]

In 1941 he married Margaret Bess Bedell. They had three daughters.

Selected publications

Articles

• 10.1073/pnas.24.1.46. Light Intensity and the Nitrogen Hunger Period in the Manchu Soybean . 1938 . Fred . E. B. . Wilson . P. W. . Wyss . Orville . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 24 . 1 . 46–52 . 16588187 . 1077023 . free . 1938PNAS...24...46F .
• 10.1073/pnas.27.3.162 . Mechanism of Biological Nitrogen Fixation . 1941 . Wyss . Orville . Wilson . P. W. . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 27 . 3 . 162–168 . 16588441 . 1078296 . free .
• 10.1073/pnas.33.3.59. The Production of Mutations in Staphylococcus aureus by Irradiation of the Substrate . 1947 . Stone . Wilson S. . Wyss . Orville . Haas . Felix . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 33 . 3 . 59–66 . 16578245 . 1078988 . free . 1947PNAS...33...59S .
• 10.1073/pnas.34.6.229. The Effect of Irradiation on Recombination in Escherichia coli . 1948 . Haas . Felix . Wyss . Orville . Stone . Wilson S. . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 34 . 6 . 229–232 . 16588802 . 1079100 . free . 1948PNAS...34..229H .
• Wyss, Orville. Clark, J. Bennett. Haas, Felix. Stone, Wilson S.. The role of peroxide in the biological effects of irradiated broth. Journal of Bacteriology. 56. 1. 1948. 51–57. 10.1128/jb.56.1.51-57.1948 . 18863626 . 518542 . 27409990 .
• 10.1128/jb.62.1.39-44.1951. The Protection of Bacteria by Pyruvate Against Radiation Effects . 1951 . Thompson . T. L. . Mefferd . Roy B. . Wyss . Orville . Journal of Bacteriology . 62 . 1 . 39–44 . 14861157 . 386082 .
• Book: Werkman, C. H. . Wilson, P. W. . Chapter VI. Chemical factors affecting growth and death by Orville Wyss . 178–213 . https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzTLBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA178. 9781483274850 . Bacterial Physiology . 22 October 2013 . Elsevier . (reprint of 1951 original)
• 10.1073/pnas.39.10.1052. Induced Host-Range Mutations in Bacteriophage . 1953 . Fernandez . Bernal . Haas . Felix L. . Wyss . Orville . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . 39 . 10 . 1052–1057 . 16589372 . 1063904 . free . 1953PNAS...39.1052F .
• 10.1083/jcb.10.4.555. Development and Germination of the Azotobacter Cyst . 1961 . Wyss . Orville . Neumann . Marilyn G. . Socolofsky . M. D. . The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology . 10 . 4 . 555–565 . 13787014 . 2225101 .
• 10.1126/science.138.3545.1103. Antarctica: The Microbiology of an Unfrozen Saline Pond . 1962 . Meyer . George H. . Morrow . Marie B. . Wyss . Orville . Berg . Thomas E. . Littlepage . Jack L. . Science . 138 . 3545 . 1103–1104 . 17772969 . 1962Sci...138.1103M . 42714160 .
• 10.1128/jb.84.6.1209-1215.1962. Enzyme Associated with Bacteriophage Infection . 1962 . Eklund . Curtis . Wyss . Orville . Journal of Bacteriology . 84 . 6 . 1209–1215 . 16561980 . 278047 .
• 10.1128/jb.87.2.476-477.1964. Improved Stain for Visualization of Azotobacter Encystment . 1964 . Vela . G. R. . Wyss . Orville . Journal of Bacteriology . 87 . 2 . 476–477 . 14151075 . 277034 .
• 10.1128/jb.89.5.1280-1285.1965. Radiation Resistance of Soil Azotobacter . 1965 . Vela . Gerard R. . Wyss . Orville . Journal of Bacteriology . 89 . 5 . 1280–1285 . 14292998 . 277640 .
• 10.1099/00221287-47-3-421. The Role of Tris in EDTA Toxicity and Lysozyme Lysis . 1967 . Goldschmidt . M. C. . Wyss . O. . Journal of General Microbiology . 47 . 3 . 421–431 . 4962334 . free . (See tris and EDTA.)

Books

• Book: Elementary Biology. Wyss, Orville. Williams, O. B.. Gardner Jr., E. W.. 1963. New York. John Wiley & Sons. ^[10]
• Book: Wyss, Orville. Eklund, Curtis. Microorganisms and Man . 9780471969006 . 1971 . New York . John Wiley & Sons . ^[11]

References

1. Web site: Orville Wyss. Microtree.
2. Book: Cattell, Jaques. American Men of Science: A Biographical Dictionary. 2781. 1949. The Science Press. Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
3. Book: ASM News . 1994 . American Society for Microbiology .
4. News: Austin Monitor. Pagano, Elizabeth. April 2, 2014. Landmark Commission postpones action on West Austin demolition .
5. 1643325. 18731488. 1948 . Rees . R. B. . Treatment of Superficial Fungus Infections in Routine Dermatologic Practice . California Medicine . 69 . 1 . 28–31 .
6. Web site: Mount Wyss. USGS. https://web.archive.org/web/20210426123628/https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=GNISPQ:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:16844 . 2021-04-26 .
7. Web site: Historic Fellows. American Association for the Advancement of Science.
8. Book: Microbiologist gets a mountain. https://books.google.com/books?id=hN0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA17. 17 . The Alcalde . January 1967 .
9. Web site: Wyss. Grantees, Fulbright Scholar Programs.
10. 10.2307/4440872. 4440872 . 2 . 1965 . The American Biology Teacher . 27 . Reviewed work: Elementary Microbiology, Orville Wyss, O. B. Williams, E. W. Gardner, Jr . 132 .
11. 10.2307/4443771. 4443771 . Peterson . Glen E. . Reviewed work: Microorganisms and Man, Orville Wyss, Curtis Eklund . The American Biology Teacher . 1972 . 34 . 1 . 39 .