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Sir Gustav(‘Gus’) Nossal by scienceinmelbourne2007 –

Top 10 Little Known Facts about Sir Gustav(‘Gus’) Nossal

Sir Gustav (“Gus”) Nossal was born on October 11, 1918 as the second of four children in a German-Jewish family. He was a medical researcher who studied immunity to viruses and cancer and wrote several books about genetics. He left Nazi Germany for Australia in 1938, becoming one of the first members of the Australian Communist Party.

He was knighted in 1973, won the Albert Einstein World Award of Science in 1990, and became an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1992. After he died at the age of 94 on 18 April 2012, Nossal was honoured with a state funeral on May 5 at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Sydney. Below are 10 little-known facts about Sir Gustav. Read on.

1.Sir Gustav Nossal is not His Original Name

Sir Gustav Nossal is not his original name. He was given the name Gustavus Adolphus when he was born in Vienna, Austria. His family did not want him to receive such a strong German name and they thought it was too long. So they shortened his name to Georg Nossal.

But, when he later immigrated to Australia, he discovered that the pronunciation was too hard for some people, so once again he changed his name. He took the middle name Adolphus because of the influence of his brother, who was an enthusiastic Nazi who belonged to a pro-Nazi youth group called Bund Deutscher Mädel . And so he became Sir Gustav Nossal.

2.Gus Nossal and his Team at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research Studied the Human Immune System

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research by Schutz –

Gus Nossal and his team at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research studied the human immune system until they discovered how to unlock human cells. This led to a breakthrough that could cure cancer. Working with Professor Paul Currie in 2005, Nossal researched the effectiveness of Trojan Horses.

These are viruses that trigger an immune response but do not cause disease or death. These are being tested as a cure for patients with lymphoma. The team was awarded £28 million in funding by the Australian Government to carry out the first clinical trials.

3.Nossal Refuted Accusations of Left-Wing Bias Made Against Him by Tony Abbott

Nossal refuted accusations of left-wing bias made against him by Tony Abbott. Abbott took advantage of a speech that Nossal gave to the Australian Museum in 1998 to criticise his work on cancer therapy.

The Prime Minister claimed that the left-wing zealotry of Nossal and his cronies” was behind the attacks. However, Nossal had been involved in a number of political discussions with other scientists, including Senator Minchin and environmentalist Tim Flannery. The Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also been criticised by Gus Nossal for singling him out like a communist.

4. Nossal Came to Australia with his parents in 1938

Nossal came to Australia with his parents in 1938. He spent most of his life-based at the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. He helped to improve understanding of the body’s natural defences and treatment for viruses, cancers and blood diseases.

5.Sir Gustav Nossal was an Immunologist

T-Cell Lymphocyte by Blausen Medical –

Sir Gustav Nossal was an immunologist and was able to show that the T lymphocytes a type of white blood cell are responsible for the body’s immune response. Previously, scientists thought that antibodies were responsible for this.

He also discovered that these T lymphocytes have receptors on their surface that can identify the specific antigens foreign invaders in a person’s body. This enabled the development of monoclonal antibodies, which are now being used to treat cancer and other diseases.

6.Sir Gustav Nossal was Awarded the National Medal and the Order of Australia in Recognition of His Work with Immunology

These are just some of the many facts about Sir Gustav Nossal that most people do not know about. He made so many significant discoveries and has had such a profound impact on modern science, it’s hard to imagine that there are any other members of the public who have had such a strong effect on medical research.

7.Sir Gustav Nossal Discovered Other Bacteria

When Sir Gustav Nossal discovered other bacteria, he was able to determine what their genetic codes looked like by comparing the DNA with that of other species. He could then see that bacteria were more closely related to one another than any other groups of animals. This led him to believe that the diversity of life on earth is greater than was thought previously

8.Sir Gustav Nossal was one of the First Scientists to Realise that the Immune System is Connected to Autoimmune Disorders and Allergies

This may seem like an obvious finding today, but it was a radical idea at the time. He was often criticised for his controversial theories, with many people accusing him of conducting personal vendettas. However, he persisted with his research and went on to show the connection between the body’s immune system and autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, Sir Gustav Nossal discovered that viruses flare up when they enter the body

9.Sir Gustav Nossal was the First to Isolate an Antibody that is Still used Today to Test for Syphilis and Rheumatic Fever

Rapid point-of-care syphil.is test by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention –

Sir Gustav Nossal was the first to isolate an antibody that is still used today to test for syphilis and rheumatic fever. According to a popular myth, it was another scientist, Lindberg, who isolated this anti-tetanus antibody. However, it has recently been realised that a bacteriophage called Pasteurella multocida caused the disease spirochetal.

Lindberg’s case of syphilis was transmitted from a sheep that had P. multocida. Therefore, what he actually isolated was the anti-tetanus antibody that he discovered in his body, after being contaminated by a sheep. The antibody is still used today for syphilis tests and called anti-Pasteurella multocida . It is unclear whether Lindberg knew this or not, but it does not detract from the merit of the discovery.

10.When Sir Gustav was Born, in 1919, Hitler was not yet a Politician

Adolf Hitler by Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S33882 / CC BY-SA 3.0 DE –

When Sir Gustav was born, in 1919, Hitler was not yet a politician and so his brother’s enthusiasm for him was not something that would have particularly influenced his family. Although it is true that, after Hitler came to power, he had an enormous influence on young people.