Frederick Twort

Frederick Twort
Frederick Twort
Born	22 October 1877 Camberley, Surrey
Died	20 March 1950 (1950-03-21) (aged 72)
Nationality	English
Fields	bacteriology
Institutions	University of London
Alma mater	St Thomas's Hospital
Known for	bacteriophages
Notable awards	Fellow of the Royal Society

Frederick William Twort FRS (October 22, 1877 – March 20, 1950) was an English bacteriologist and was the original discoverer in 1915 of bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria). He studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital, London, was superintendent of the Brown Institute for Animals (a pathology research centre), and was a professor of bacteriology at the University of London. He researched into Johne's disease, a chronic intestinal infection of cattle, and also discovered that vitamin K is needed by growing leprosy bacteria.

The eldest of the eleven children of Dr. William Henry Twort, Frederick Twort was born in Camberley, Surrey on 22 October 1877. The three eldest sons went to Tomlinson's Modern School in Woking. From 1894 Frederick studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital, London. After qualifying in medicine (Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons, Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians) in 1900, Twort took the first paid post available, assistant to Dr. Louis Jenner, Superintendent of the Clinical Laboratory of St Thomas' Hospital. There he trained in pathological techniques. In 1902 he became assistant to the Bacteriologist of the London Hospital, Dr. William Bulloch, later F.R.S., and carried out single-handed the whole diagnostic routine of the Hospital. In 1909, Twort became the superintendent of the Brown Animal Sanatory Institution, a pathology research centre, and remained there for the duration of his career. In 1919 Twort married Dorothy Nony, daughter of Frederick J. Banister, and together they had three daughters and a son.