Bernheimer, Alan Sr.

Biography

Alan W. Bernheimer received his B.S. and A.M. from Temple University and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1942. In 1941, Bernheimer joined the Department of Microbiology at the New York University School of Medicine as an instructor in bacteriology. Bernheimer he remained at NYU until his death in 2006, as Emeritus Professor. He served as chair of Basic Medical Sciences, 1969-74. .

Bernheimer's contributions to the field of bacterial pathogenesis were wide ranging, and included the development of a vaccine for gas gangrene during World War II. By purifying and characterizing cytotoxins from dozens of common and rare bacterial pathogens, Bernheimer's work defines an important theme of tissue damage during infections. He was a meticulous and patient researcher, and remained at the bench throughout his career. A naturalist from childhood, he compared toxins across phylogenetic barriers. He studied toxins from insects, snakes, and sea anemones, and showed mechanistic and serological relatedness with bacterial agents. The demonstration of a phospholipase D in the venom of the brown recluse spider that was closely related to the corynebacterial enzyme was reported in Science in 1985.

Bernheimer was honored by ASM, then the American Society of Bacteriology, in 1948 by the Eli Lilly Award. He was funded by NIH throughout his career, including a career fellowship (1962-84), and was a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. He was a trustee of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (1963-8) and served as consultant to the Surgeon General of the U.S, 1957-60. Bernheimer was a summer investigator in the Marine Biological Lab in Woods Hole, Mass. He published more than 150 papers, and edited several books.

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