Lloyd M. Kozloff (1923–2012) was an American
microbiologist
A microbiologist (from Ancient Greek, Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of Microorganism, microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, f ...
and
virologist
Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, their ...
. He served on the faculty of the
University of Chicago, the
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and
University of California, San Francisco, where he became
dean of the
UCSF Graduate Division. Kozloff retired from UCSF in 1993. He died of
heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
in 2012.
Early life and education
Kozloff was born in 1923 in
Chicago. After finishing high school early, he attended
University of Chicago and graduated with a degree in
biochemistry at age 19. He served in the
United States Navy for a time, then returned to Chicago for his
Ph.D., which he received in 1948 for work with
Earl Evans.
Academic career
Kozloff was offered a faculty position in the Division of Biological Sciences at
University of Chicago following the completion of his Ph.D., and he remained at the school until 1963, when he moved to the
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
While there he served as co-founding editor of the ''
Journal of Virology'', launched in 1967 under the leadership of Kozloff,
Norman Salzman, and founding
editor-in-chief Robert R. Wagner.
In 1980 Kozloff moved again to
University of California, San Francisco, where he served as the dean of the Graduate Division from 1981 to 1991. He retired in 1993. In recognition of his interest in
graduate student education, a graduate fellowship was established in his name.
Research
Kozloff's research in
virology concentrated on
bacteriophage
A bacteriophage (), also known informally as a ''phage'' (), is a duplodnaviria virus that infects and replicates within bacteria and archaea. The term was derived from "bacteria" and the Greek φαγεῖν ('), meaning "to devour". Bacteri ...
s, or
viruses that infect
bacteria; he was part of the network of scientists studying similar problems known at the time as the "
phage group". Kozloff was particularly interested in the biochemistry of
viral replication and was among the early users of
radiolabeling to trace this process. While at Chicago, Kozloff and
Frank Putnam reported the then-surprising discovery that a fraction of the
phosphorus found in the
DNA of a bacteriophage virus would be incorporated into the phage's progeny; this observation was important evidence in establishing the genetic role of DNA.
While in Colorado, Kozloff developed a new research interest in
ice-nucleating bacteria Bioprecipitation is the concept of rain-making bacteria and was proposed by David Sands from Montana State University - Bozeman, Montana State University in 1982. The formation of ice in clouds is required for snow and most rainfall. Dust and soot p ...
.
Personal life
Kozloff and his wife had four children; his daughter
Sarah Kozloff is a professor of film at
Vassar College.
Kozloff died of
heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
in 2012 at age 88.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kozloff, Lloyd M.
American microbiologists
American immunologists
University of California, San Francisco faculty
University of Colorado faculty
University of Chicago faculty
University of Chicago alumni
1923 births
2012 deaths