Peter Greenberg, PhD, inaugural Eugene and Martha Nester Professor of Microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, is being honored with the 2023 Canada Gairdner International Award.
Greenberg was awarded along with microbiologist Bonnie Bassler, PhD, Squibb Professor and chair of Molecular Biology at Princeton University, and Michael Silverman, PhD, emeritus investigator at The Agouron Institute and emeritus adjunct professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Greenberg, Bassler and Silverman have worked together and independently to explore a topic that at first received little attention from other scientists. In fact, some dismissed it as improbable. Only a few labs explored how bacteria interact with each other as a community. Now it is the subject of flourishing research that has attracted hundreds of researchers worldwide.
Research impact
Bassler, Greenberg and Silverman are pioneering this new field of study in microbiology.
Their discoveries are creating a better understanding of microbes and their clinical impacts. Greenberg’s work shows promise in targeting infections such as those associated with cystic fibrosis. Their work is instrumental in understanding how the microbiome affects our health and finding new ways to harness microbial communities to promote health and prevent disease.
Read more on the UW Medicine Newsroom.
