Twort , Frederick William , 1877-1950 , bacteriologist

Twort went into research shortly after he qualified in medicine in 1900. In 1909 he was appointed Superintendent of the Brown Institution in South London, a post he held until the building was destroyed during the Blitz in 1944, apart from a period of service in Salonika at the Base Laboratories during World War I. In 1929 he was elected FRS and in 1931 the title of Professor of Bacteriology was conferred on him by the University of London. He did important work on the bacteriophage and was involved in controversy with Félix d'Hérelle over priority in research findings. Twort's research interests were wide and included developing improved wireless reception and work on removing impurities in latex. Described in an obituary as an 'erratic genius' he was no stranger to controversy, criticising his military superiors during his war service and initiating a legal case against the Medical Research Council when they terminated their funding to the Brown Institution. Details of a biography of Twort by his son are given below.