Thomas Eisner "Father of Chemical Ecology"

Thomas Eisner was born in Berlin during the year of 1929 which was right when the Great Depression was getting ready to start. Throughout his young life his family had moved around a lot due to Hitler and the war. It is said that from a young age Eisner had been occupied with bugs: how they looked, what they ate, and how they fly. When Eisner’s family moved to 1947 he was allowed to get the education he always had wanted.
After receiving a college education Eisner became a very successful man in the biology field. Throughout his research Eisner had honors including membership in the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. Upon being involved in those organizations he also won many awards. The man area he seemed interested in knowing about was bugs. Throughout the rest of his life Eisner studied bugs; how they could be dangerous to human life as well. It all started when he was born in Berlin.
Growing up in Berlin, Eisner didn’t get a chance to learn much at the time for the fact that he was so young. His family didn’t spend much time in Berlin as they were quickly moved due to rise in power of Adolf Hitler. His father, being of Jewish decent, had the family on the run throughout most of Eisner’s early life. Eventually the Eisner family settled in South America before coming to the U.S. During their time in South America Eisner was said to be enthused with the various types of bugs. He was supported throughout his life by his parents his father being chemist. In 1947 the family moved to the United States which lead to Eisner enrolling at Chaplain College in New York. After two years he would transfer to Harvard where he earned a Bachelor’s degree and PhD in biology. In 1957 he gained his first big job as he joined Cornell where he worked in the department of Entomology. In 1964 he moved to the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior; also with Cornell, and he worked in this area until he passed away. He would also serve as director of the Cornell Institute for Research in Chemical Ecology during his time at Cornell.
During his time Eisner was considered the “father of chemical ecology” also he was either author or co-author of over 500 scientific articles. His main premise of his articles were studying insects. He studied how insects mate, trap their prey, and survive. In 2004 he released the book “For Love of Insects” which won Best Science Book, and he also received the Louis Thomas Prize for Writing. Eisner was regarded by many a genius of his time for his works he did. He released a film “Secret Weapons” which won an award at the New York Film Festival. During his time Eisner showed his great passion for insects prompted him to consult chemistry, biology, ecology, evolution, behavior, morphology, and insect physiology. As far as his experiments, and explorations he went beyond what others were doing when studying insects. His thought on insects is that they were “master chemists”. According to Eisner insects were able to tell us more about life than most animals could.
During his time he made a lot of discoveries with insects and their tendencies. Throughout his numerous discoveries his studies included: the web making process of spiders, the high temperature spray of the bombardier beetle, an how some male butterflies secret certain substances. The most recent study before his death in 2011, was the thought of “chemical prospecting” which is the search for new medicinal, agrochemicals and other useful substances from nature. His groundbreaking discoveries helped him earn the 1994 National Medal of Science, which is the highest scientific honor in the U.S.
Thomas Eisner’s discoveries have made him one of the most successful biologists of his time. He will always be known as the “father of chemical ecology” which means he will always be tied to family of environmentalists.
References:
Lang, S. (n.d.). Cornell Chronicle: Renowned biologist Tom Eisner dies at 81. Cornell Chronicle Online. Retrieved June 18, 2011, from http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories
appointment.. (n.d.). Research Interests. Department of Neurobiology and Behavior - Cornell University. Retrieved June 18, 2011, from http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/neurobio