Stanley Falkow, who discovered the molecular nature of antibiotic resistance, has passed away at 84. In his long career, Falkow revolutionized the way we think about how pathogens cause disease and helped launch the field of plasmid biology. Falkow was known as a wise and generous mentor to more than 100 students, many of whom are now distinguished leaders in the fields of microbiology and infectious diseases. In accepting his 2008 Lasker~Koshland Special Achievement Award, Falkow credited his own mentors, as well as the young people who worked in his lab, as helping to foster a creative life in science. He said, “I share this recognition with them. And, with my little buddies, the microbes.”
