and the need to seek other sources of industrial chemicals, becoming, perhaps, the
first “green chemist” (Van Niel 1957). This interest led to studies of the comparative
biochemistry of catabolism in many bacteria and an appreciation for not only the
diversity of catabolisms but also the unity of biochemistry throughout the biological
world.
Though he did not entertain thoughts about evolution, per se, he noted in his 1922
inaugural address the unsatisfactory state of bacteria classification. He later realized
that classifications had been developed in a haphazard state with different investigators having different goals and no guiding principles. He decided that perhaps by
judiciously choosing morphological and biochemical characteristics, groups above
the species level could be discerned. He formulated some general principles of
catabolic properties among the organisms that he studied and tried to create a
more rational classification scheme. He published an outline of such a system in
1936 along with his student Cornelis B. van Niel (Kluyver and Niel 1936).
Kluyver famously wrote, “From elephant to butyric acid bacterium — it is all the
same.” The unity of biochemistry that he recognized is in line with Darwin’s idea
that all life came from a common ancestor. In their 1936 scheme, van Niel and
Kluyver attempted to create a “natural” system for taxonomy of bacteria as opposed
to the developing “practical” (i.e., Bergey’s) taxonomies that were made by those
who thought “idealist” taxonomies were impossible, so “realistic” ones were needed
(Singleton Jr and Singleton 2017; Stanier and van Niel 1941). They wrote:
. . .the only truly scientific foundation of a classification is to be found in an appreciation of
the available facts from a phylogenetic point of view. Only in this way can the natural
interrelationships of the various bacteria be properly understood. It has to be admitted that,
inasmuch as the course of phylogeny will always remain unknown, the basis of a true
phylogenetic system of classification will be very unstable indeed. On the other hand it
cannot be denied that the studies in comparative morphology made by botanists and
zoologists have made phylogeny a reality. Under these circumstances it seems appropriate
to accept the phylogenetic principle also in bacteriological classification. (Kluyver and van
Niel 1936)
They believed that the way organisms meet their energy needs, catabolism, should
rank as the first physiological trait. However, they also held that morphology is the
evolutionarily defining trait and so should be the premier trait to keep the whole
scheme phylogenetic. Morphological traits included spore formation, mode of
reproduction, flagella, and Gram stain. Physiology was secondary to distinguish
groupings within the morphological units. Physiological traits were energy source,
use of oxygen, catabolic substrates, and mode of their decomposition (products). The
use of different oligosaccharides was not a trait to be considered as this property was
thought to be devoid of energetic significance. They thought it could be used to
distinguish species, but not higher units.
Van Niel went to the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University in 1938 and
soon established a summer course in general microbiology that became a highly
influential training ground for microbiologists. A new University of California,
Berkeley undergraduate, Roger Stanier, enrolled in its first class and found his
calling (Fig. 2.7). He enrolled in the following year, too, choosing the first part of
34
K. M. Noll
first “green chemist” (Van Niel 1957). This interest led to studies of the comparative
biochemistry of catabolism in many bacteria and an appreciation for not only the
diversity of catabolisms but also the unity of biochemistry throughout the biological
world.
Though he did not entertain thoughts about evolution, per se, he noted in his 1922
inaugural address the unsatisfactory state of bacteria classification. He later realized
that classifications had been developed in a haphazard state with different investigators having different goals and no guiding principles. He decided that perhaps by
judiciously choosing morphological and biochemical characteristics, groups above
the species level could be discerned. He formulated some general principles of
catabolic properties among the organisms that he studied and tried to create a
more rational classification scheme. He published an outline of such a system in
1936 along with his student Cornelis B. van Niel (Kluyver and Niel 1936).
Kluyver famously wrote, “From elephant to butyric acid bacterium — it is all the
same.” The unity of biochemistry that he recognized is in line with Darwin’s idea
that all life came from a common ancestor. In their 1936 scheme, van Niel and
Kluyver attempted to create a “natural” system for taxonomy of bacteria as opposed
to the developing “practical” (i.e., Bergey’s) taxonomies that were made by those
who thought “idealist” taxonomies were impossible, so “realistic” ones were needed
(Singleton Jr and Singleton 2017; Stanier and van Niel 1941). They wrote:
. . .the only truly scientific foundation of a classification is to be found in an appreciation of
the available facts from a phylogenetic point of view. Only in this way can the natural
interrelationships of the various bacteria be properly understood. It has to be admitted that,
inasmuch as the course of phylogeny will always remain unknown, the basis of a true
phylogenetic system of classification will be very unstable indeed. On the other hand it
cannot be denied that the studies in comparative morphology made by botanists and
zoologists have made phylogeny a reality. Under these circumstances it seems appropriate
to accept the phylogenetic principle also in bacteriological classification. (Kluyver and van
Niel 1936)
They believed that the way organisms meet their energy needs, catabolism, should
rank as the first physiological trait. However, they also held that morphology is the
evolutionarily defining trait and so should be the premier trait to keep the whole
scheme phylogenetic. Morphological traits included spore formation, mode of
reproduction, flagella, and Gram stain. Physiology was secondary to distinguish
groupings within the morphological units. Physiological traits were energy source,
use of oxygen, catabolic substrates, and mode of their decomposition (products). The
use of different oligosaccharides was not a trait to be considered as this property was
thought to be devoid of energetic significance. They thought it could be used to
distinguish species, but not higher units.
Van Niel went to the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University in 1938 and
soon established a summer course in general microbiology that became a highly
influential training ground for microbiologists. A new University of California,
Berkeley undergraduate, Roger Stanier, enrolled in its first class and found his
calling (Fig. 2.7). He enrolled in the following year, too, choosing the first part of
34
K. M. Noll