Surface Inactivation of Bacterial Viruses and of Proteins

Abstract

The extraordinary paper of Mark H. Adams: Surface Inactivation of Bacterial Viruses and of Proteins appeared in a mainstream Journal of Physiology, in 1948. It was neglected and has been ever since. In retrospect this was and is a tragedy for science of the very first order. Adams was recognised in his time as a brilliant bacteriologist who, sadly, died young (1912-1956). His peers completed a partially finished book on his work in 1959. It was forgotten in the rush to join the DNA biological revolution. In that revolution the physical sciences, the physical chemistry of solutions, colloid and surface science have played almost no serious conceptual role at all. The biological/medical and the physico-chemical sciences have diverged almost completely, to a point where their languages are mutually incomprehensible.2 Of course, characterisation and diagnostics of disease by myriad new techniques has been essential to progress in medicine and biology. But the gap remains. We are missing something. Adams paper circumscribes that something.

Keywords

• Dissolved gas
• bubble-bubble interactions
• nanobubbles
• surface layers