Dr. Everett Peter Greenberg is a pioneering scientist widely recognized as the founder of the field of bacterial communication research. He currently serves as the inaugural Eugene and Martha Nester Professor of Microbiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he has led groundbreaking research since 2005. Dr. Greenberg received his BA in Biology from Western Washington University in 1970, followed by an MS in Microbiology from the University of Iowa in 1972, and completed his PhD in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1977. After conducting postdoctoral research at Harvard University, he established his independent career at Cornell University from 1979 to 1988 before moving to the University of Iowa College of Medicine, where he remained until joining the University of Washington.
Dr. Greenberg's transformative research revolutionized our understanding of microbial communication through his discovery of quorum sensing mechanisms. In 1985, he reported that bacterial autoinducers passively diffuse between cells, revealing a fundamental mechanism of intercellular signaling in microorganisms. His seminal work on the luxR protein in Aliivibrio fischeri demonstrated how bacteria detect population density through chemical signaling molecules. In the landmark 1994 Journal of Bacteriology article, Dr. Greenberg, along with colleagues Clay Fuqua and Steve Winans, introduced the term 'quorum sensing' to describe this phenomenon, which controls virulence in pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the primary pathogen in cystic fibrosis infections.
Widely regarded as the father of the quorum sensing field, Dr. Greenberg has published over two hundred scientific articles that have reshaped microbial ecology and pathogenesis research. His discoveries have established foundational principles for developing novel anti-infective strategies that target bacterial communication rather than viability, potentially reducing antibiotic resistance. Dr. Greenberg's leadership extends beyond his laboratory as he has mentored dozens of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, the majority of whom have pursued successful academic careers. His exceptional contributions have been recognized with the prestigious Shaw Prize in Life Sciences in 2015, the 2023 Gairdner International Prize, and the Princess Asturias Laureate in Science and Technology, while his election to the National Academy of Sciences underscores his enduring impact on the scientific community.
