A Tribute to Seymour Benzer, 1921–2007

NOVEMBER 2007 was marked by the loss of Seymour Benzer, long considered the father of the field of neurogenetics. Benzer's scientific contributions are broad and span from physics (his Ph.D. training) to molecular biology (defining the linearity of the gene) to behavioral genetics (establishing the field). Benzer's unswerving devotion to science led him to continue running a vibrant laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, until his death at the age of 86. Quite astonishing was his ability to recreate himself multiple times in widely different disciplines and to achieve remarkable scientific insights and discoveries in each of these fields.