Evelyn Witkin
Evelyn Witkin · Science & Medicine
Geneticist who discovered the bacterial SOS response and advanced the study of DNA repair.
1921, New York City, USA — 2023, Plainsboro, New Jersey, USA
United States
Evelyn Witkin is recognized among Jewish contributors to Science & Medicine — Geneticist who discovered the bacterial SOS response and advanced the study of DNA repair.
A geneticist from a Jewish family, Witkin studied how bacteria respond to damage to their DNA. Over decades she uncovered the 'SOS response,' a coordinated emergency repair and survival program that cells switch on when their genome is injured, laying groundwork for the modern understanding of DNA repair and mutation. Her insights proved central to cancer biology and molecular genetics.
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Source: Jinfo.org — Jews in Biology
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Geneticist who discovered the bacterial SOS response and advanced the study of DNA repair.
Source: Jinfo.org — Jews in Biology
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