Nobel Prizes and Nature's Surprises

Ch. 1. A magician of virology from Australia. The shaping of a biologist. Virus as an organism. The evaluations by Nobel committees. The golden age of virology and the changing science -- ch. 2. A divided Nobel Prize and a new era in immunology. The early Nobel Prizes in immunology. From virology to immunology. It takes two to tango. The Nobel committee reviews the discovery of immunological tolerance. The Nobel events in 1960. The post-Prize engagements of Burnet and Medawar - two exceptional statesmen of science -- ch. 3. More Nobel Prizes in immunology. The origin of lymphocytes engaged in immune responses. The lack of recognition of the discoveries of B and T cells by a Nobel Prize. The basic structure of an antibody. One cell - one antibody. One antigen selects a swarm of antibodies. The richness of antibodies is created by a lottery system. Antibodies cannot penetrate into cells. The Nobel assembly and an influential secretary. An embarrassed newly appointed secretary. The delayed Nobel Prize. The cell-bound immunity has an unexpected restriction. Innate immunity finally recognized again. Signalling without direct cell contacts -- ch. 4. Immunity, infections and transplantations. Inherited and acquired immune defects. Personal experiences of major health challenges and engagement in research. The evolutionary interplay of viruses and their hosts. The development in tissue transplantations in humans. A committed female scientist. Complications of medically induced immune suppression. A management of bereavement. ch. 5. Transgressing borders in science and scenes of life. The assimilated Jew and the budding scientist. Rutherford's laboratory. The turmoil of the First World War. The first stay with Bohr - the hafnium years. The deliberations by the Nobel committee on the discovery of hafnium. The age of the Earth and the rare earth elements. Years of interlude in Freiburg. Return to Copenhagen - the indicator method comes of age. The evaluation of the indicator method by the Nobel committee. The shadow of the Second World War. A final home country. The Nobel Prize. Modern tracer techniques in biology, medicine and archaeology. Life after the Nobel Prize