Frank Macfarlane Burnet, 3 September 1899 - 31 August 1985

Abstract

Frank Macfarlane Burnet was the greatest biologist that Australia has produced. He spent virtually all of a long working life in Australia. His experimental work on bacteriophages and animal viruses, especially influenza virus, resulted in major discoveries concerning their nature and replication, and he was a pioneer in the application of ecological principles to viral diseases. He proposed two concepts in immunology, acquired immunological tolerance and the clonal selection theory of antibody production, that proved to be of critical importance in stimulating research and led to a more complete understanding of immune processes. In the later stages of his life he wrote about problems of ageing and cancer.