Ruth Evelyn Gordon (1910–2003) was an American bacterial taxonomist.
She was member of the American Type Culture Collection. The bacterial genus ''
Gordonia'' (formerly ''Gordona'') and species ''
Mycobacterium gordonae
''Mycobacterium gordonae'' is a species of ''Mycobacterium'' named for Ruth E. Gordon. It is a species of the phylum Actinomycetota (Gram-positive bacteria with high guanine and cytosine content, one of the dominant phyla of all bacteria), bel ...
'' are named after her.
Gordon received her PhD in bacteriology from
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to ...
in 1934.
Career
Gordon worked at the Division of Soil Microbiology at the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
from 1939 to 1942. She studied streptomycetes, which became her area of emphasis.
In 1946, she began working for the
American Type Culture Collection
ATCC or the American Type Culture Collection is a nonprofit organization which collects, stores, and distributes standard reference microorganisms, cell lines and other materials for research and development. Established in 1925 to serve as a natio ...
(ATCC) as a bacteriologist. She was promoted to curator in 1947.
In 1954, she became an assistant professor at
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and wa ...
. She became a full professor in 1971.
Gordon retired in 1981, but continued to work as a visiting investigator for the ATCC.
Research
Gordon had a role in many different research studies throughout her career. In 1952, she was involved in a study focusing on aerobic sporeforming bacteria.
This research study worked to identify, classify, and name types of aerobic sporeforming bacteria found in the soil.
In 1953, Gordon assisted in research on rapidly growing, acid-fast bacteria. In this study, she helped collaborate information on the presence of types of bacteria that grow quickly in acid, and helped with expressing the importance of naming and classifying these types of bacteria.
Publications
* A Study of Some Acid-Fast Actinomycetes from Soil with Special Reference to Pathogenicity for Animals (1936)
* A Study of Some of the Properties of the Toxic Substances Produced by Salmonella Paratyphi A and B (1937)
* The Toxicity of Young Cells of Salmonella Paratyphi A and B When Lysed by Bacteriophage (1938)
* Aerobic Mesophilic Sporeforming Bacteria (1946)
References
External links
1951 photograph
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Ruth E.
1910 births
2003 deaths
Cornell University alumni
Rutgers University faculty
American bacteriologists
American taxonomists
Women taxonomists