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J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 56(4), 2009 pp. 400–401 r 2009 The Author(s) Journal compilation r 2009 by the International Society of Protistologists DOI: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.2009.00418.x
IN MEMORIAM: FREDERICK L. SCHUSTER (1934–2009)
F
rederick L. Schuster passed away on January 6, 2009 after fighting cancer with remarkable determination, good humor, and little complaint. Fred was the fifth child, born during the depths of the Great Depression on January 23, 1934, to Esther and Jacob Schuster in Brooklyn, NY. Fred did his undergraduate studies in Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, and moved to University of California, Berkeley, CA, to study Protozoology with Professor William Balamuth. He met his future wife, Jean Glickman there and married her in 1960. This union produced two children, a girl, Deborah and a boy, Michael. It was in Dr. Balamuth’s laboratory that Fred developed an interest in and a life-long commitment to the biology of the small free-living amoebae. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, CA in 1962 with a Ph.D. in Zoology. Immediately after obtaining his Ph.D. degree he did research, first at the Langley Porter Neuro-psychiatric Institute in San Francisco, CA (1962–1963) and later on at the Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL (1963–1966). He was appointed as Assistant Professor of Biology, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY in 1966 and continued in that capacity until 1970 at which time he was promoted to the position of Associate Professor from 1970 to 1973. Because of his outstanding teaching and research efforts he was promoted to the rank of a full Professor in 1974 and continued in that position until he became Professor Emeritus in 1998. Fred returned to University of California, Berkeley periodically to teach (summer of 1972 and 1974) and to do research in the Viral & Rickettsial Diseases Laboratory in Berkeley, CA (summer of 1977). I met Fred during the summer of 1970 and found him to be unassuming, cheerful, and a fountain of knowledge. He also served as a Visiting Professor from 1987 to 1988 at the Dept. of Pathology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY. He was an outstanding teacher and a scholar. Research work was always important to Fred. And so he returned to his stomping grounds of Berkeley after his retirement and worked as a Visiting Research Scholar in the Department of
Health Services, Viral and Rickettsial Laboratory, Berkeley, CA from 1999 until his death. He was also a Microbiological Consultant from 1999 to 2009 at the Bio-Mass Systems Inc., San Leandro, CA. He founded ProtoServ Inc., in 1999 and was the Chief Operating Officer of the company until his death. Fred was a member of a number of scientific organizations including American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Microscopical Society, American Society of Cell Biology, American Society of Microbiology, Belgian Society of Tropical Medicine, and the Society of Protozoologists (now the International Society of Protistologists). It is at the Society of Protozoologists he shone as a productive member by becoming the Chairman of the Education Committee (1976–1979 and 1983– 1985), member of the Board of Reviewers for the Journal of Protozoology (1976–1987), and member of the Executive Committee (1981–1984). He was also a member of the Western Society of Naturalists. In addition to all of his other duties and commitments Fred served as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of national and international journals. Fred was energetic, tireless, stimulating, and a sensitive colleague, a wonderful friend, and a great human being. He was a man of tremendous humility but with great charm and an infectious laughter and had great affection, dedication, and loyalty to his close friends. Fred was an authority on the in vitro cultivation of protistan parasites. Fred was a leading figure in the field of pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amoebae research. He continued to think and write articles on these amoebae until the very last few days of his life, in spite of enduring the horrible effects of chemotherapy. Perhaps his most significant scientific achievement was in the participation of the discovery, naming, and drug sensitivity of Balamuthia mandrillaris, agent of meningoencephalitis in humans and other animals. Fred authored or co-authored more than 100 research articles that were published in peer-reviewed journals. The first paper he published in 1963 on the electron microscopy of the amoeboid and flagellate stages of Naegleria gruberi was considered as Citation Classic on January 19, 1987 by Current Contents (see selected bibliography references of recent publications). Fred was a stamp collector throughout his life; he enjoyed reading comic books as a youngster and loved classical literature, mysteries, and appreciated both classical and jazz music. Fred was also a good cook. If he found a recipe that his wife thought too involved and cumbersome, he would make the dish himself following the directions as he would perform a scientific experiment—very much like making growth medium for the amoebae. Fred is survived by his wife Jean, daughter Deborah, son Michael, and two grand kids. His intelligence and keen sense of humor will be missed by us all.—GOVINDA VISVESVARA, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chamblee Campus, Bldg. 109, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Schuster, F. L. 1963a. An electron microscope study of the amoebo-flagellate, Naegleria gruberi (Schardinger). I. The amoeboid and flagellate stages. J. Protozool., 10:293–313. Schuster, F. L. 1963b. An electron microscope study of the amoeboflagellate, Naegleria gruberi (Schardinger). I. The cyst stage. J. Protozool., 10:313–320.
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FREDERICK L. SCHUSTER—IN MEMORIAM Schuster, F. L. 2002. Cultivation of pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amebas. Clin. Microbiol. Rev., 15:342–354. Schuster, F. L. & Visvesvara, G. S. 1996. Axenic growth and drug sensitivity studies on Balamuthia mandrillaris, an agent of amebic meningoencephalitis in humans and animals. J. Clin. Microbiol., 34:385– 388. Schuster, F. L. & Visvesvara, G. S. 2008. Balamuthia mandrillaris. In: Khan, N. A. (ed.), Emerging Protozoan Pathogens. Taylor & Francis, London. p. 71–118. Schuster, F. L., Glaser, C., Honarmand, S., Maguire, J. H. & Visvesvara, G. S. 2004. Balamuthia amebic encephalitis risk, Hispanic Americans. Emerg. Infect. Dis., 10:1510–1512. Schuster, F. L., De Jonckheere, J. F., Moura, H., Sriram, R., Garner, M. M. & Visvesvara, G. S. 2003b. Isolation of a thermotolerant Paravahlkampfia spp. from lizard intestine: biology and molecular identification. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 50:373–378. Schuster, F. L., Yagi, S., Wilkins, P. P., Gavali, S., Visvesvara, G. S. & Glaser, C. A. 2008. Balamuthia mandrillaris, agent of amebic enceph-
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alitis: detection of serum antibodies and antigenic similarity of isolates by enzyme immunoassay. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 55:313–320. Schuster, F. L., Dunnebacke, T. H., Booton, G. C., Yagi, S., Kohlmeier, C. K., Glaser, C., Vugia, D., Bakardjiev, A., Azimi, P., Maddux-Gonzalez, M., Martinez, A. J. & Visvesvara, G. S. 2003. Environmental isolation of Balamuthia mandrillaris associated with a case of amebic encephalitis. J. Clin. Microbiol., 41:3175–3180. Visvesvara, G. S., Schuster, F. L. & Martinez, A. J. 1993. Balamuthia mandrillaris, new genus, new species, agent of amebic meningoencephalitis in humans and animals. J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 40:504–514. Visvesvara, G. S., Moura, H. & Schuster, F. L. 2007. Pathogenic and opportunistic free-living amoebae: Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri, and Sappinia diploidea. FEMS Immunol. Microbiol., 50:1–26. Yagi, S., Schuster, F. L. & Visvesvara, G. S. 2008. Demonstration of Balamuthia and Acanthamoeba mitochondrial DNA in sectioned archival brain and other tissues by the polymerase chain reaction. Parasitol. Res., 102:211–217.
