René Dubos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
René Jules Dubos
|
|
|---|---|
René Jules Dubos
|
|
| Born | 20 February 1901 Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, France
|
| Died | 20 February 1982 (aged 81) |
| Nationality | French, American |
| Alma mater | Rutgers University |
| Known for | Isolation and first successful testing of natural antibiotics Coining the phrase "Think globally, act locally" |
| Awards | E. Mead Johnson Award (1941) Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (1948) Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction (1969) Cullum Geographical Medal (1975) Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (1976) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Microbiology |
| Institutions | The Rockefeller University (formerly The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research) |
René Jules Dubos (born February 20, 1901 – died February 20, 1982) was a famous French-American scientist. He studied tiny living things called microbes and how diseases affect people. He was also a strong supporter of protecting the environment.
Dubos won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his book So Human An Animal. He is also well-known for making the phrase "Think globally, act locally" popular. This idea means that big environmental problems can be solved by taking small actions in your own community. Most of his scientific work was done at The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, which is now called The Rockefeller University.
Contents
Early life and education
René Dubos was born in a small French village called Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt on February 20, 1901. He grew up in another farming village nearby, Hénonville. His parents owned butcher shops in both villages.
He went to high school in Paris and then studied at the National Institute of Agronomy. Later, he moved to the United States and earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 1927.
A career in science
Dubos started his science career in 1927 at The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. He joined Oswald Avery's lab. Avery was looking for a microbe that could break down the tough outer layer of a dangerous type of pneumonia bacteria. He thought that soil bacteria might hold the key.
Dubos found a bacterium that produced a special substance, an enzyme, which could break down this outer layer. In 1939, with help from another scientist, Rollin Hotchkiss, Dubos found two powerful antibacterial substances: tyrothricin and gramicidin. These came from a bacterium called Bacillus brevis. They could kill or stop many harmful bacteria. These were some of the first natural antibiotics ever discovered and tested.
Even back in 1942, before antibiotics were widely used, Dubos wisely warned that bacteria might become resistant to these medicines over time.
Studying diseases and the environment
René Dubos spent most of his life studying diseases caused by microbes. He also looked at how our environment and society affect human health. His early work on finding antibacterial substances in soil microbes led to the discovery of important antibiotics.
He did important research and wrote a lot about diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia. He also studied how our bodies gain immunity, how we are naturally able to fight off sickness, and how we resist infections.
In 1948, Dubos shared the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award with Selman Waksman. They were honored for their studies on how soil bacteria can fight off infections. Dubos was also chosen to be a member of important science groups like the American Philosophical Society and the National Academy of Sciences. He also helped edit the Journal of Experimental Medicine for many years.
Later in his career, Dubos became very interested in how the environment affects people's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. He believed that global problems start with local situations and choices. He also thought that humans could learn from their past and change their actions to create a healthier environment. Dubos was hopeful about the future. He believed that humans and nature are strong and can recover. He felt we could learn from our successes to solve new environmental challenges.
Think globally, act locally
René Dubos is often given credit for the popular saying "Think Globally, Act Locally." This phrase means that big environmental problems can only be solved by understanding and acting on the unique local conditions. These include the local environment, economy, and culture.
This motto first appeared in 1977. Dubos had been an advisor for a big United Nations meeting on the human environment in 1972. In 1979, Dubos suggested that caring for the environment should start at home. He wanted a world where local communities could keep their unique identity but still work together through good communication.
In the 1980s, Dubos continued to believe in acting locally. He felt that environmental issues needed to be handled based on their "unique physical, climate, and cultural settings." His ideas about building a strong and positive relationship between people and the Earth are still important today.
Death
René Dubos passed away on February 20, 1982, which was his 81st birthday. He died from heart failure. He was survived by his wife, Letha Jean Porter.
Legacy
- In 1998, the René Dubos Center for Human Environments gave many of its environmental books and records to Pace University. This collection includes Dubos's own writings and works by other leading environmental experts. Some of these books even have notes written by Dubos himself. This collection helps students understand where his ideas came from.
- The René Dubos Center also owned a piece of land in North Castle, New York. They had agreed to keep it natural. After some discussions, the land was sold to the village of Mount Kisco, New York in 2009 to be preserved.
Awards and honors
- He received the International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
- He won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction for his book So Human An Animal in 1969.
Books
René Dubos wrote many books during his lifetime, sharing his ideas on science, health, and the environment. Some of his notable books include:
- The Bacterial Cell in its Relation to Problems of Virulence, Immunity and Chemotherapy, 1945
- Louis Pasteur, Free Lance of Science, 1950
- The White Plague: Tuberculosis, Man, and Society, 1952
- Mirage of Health: Utopias, Progress & Biological Change, 1959
- Pasteur and Modern Science, 1960
- The Unseen World, 1962
- Man Adapting, 1966
- So Human an Animal: How We Are Shaped by Surroundings and Events, 1968 (Pulitzer Prize winner)
- Only One Earth: The Care and Maintenance of a Small Planet, 1972 (coauthored with Barbara Ward)
- The Wooing of Earth, 1980
- Celebrations of Life, 1981
Collected papers
All of Dubos's collected papers from 1927 to 1982 are kept at the Rockefeller Archive Center. These include his letters, lecture notes, book drafts, lab notebooks, photos, and videos.
Images for kids
-
René Jules Dubos, a French-American microbiologist and environmentalist.
See also
In Spanish: René Jules Dubos para niños
