Washington, DC - This World Polio Day, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is proud to name the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) a "Milestones in Microbiology" site. This designation honors the groundbreaking work of Jonas Salk and his team at the Virus Research Laboratory (1948-1955), where they developed the world's first safe and effective polio vaccine.
At a celebration and ceremony on Oct. 24, ASM will officially recognize the University of Pittsburgh's designation and highlight the recently opened Salk Legacy Exhibit, which chronicles the research that led to the development of the polio vaccine. That vaccine, licensed in 1955, reduced paralytic polio in the U.S. by 96% within a few short years and changed the trajectory of global health.
"The Milestones in Microbiology program recognizes places where science has transformed society," said Vaughn Cooper, Ph.D., ASM President-Elect. "Salk's vaccine remains one of the most significant examples of science's impact on public health, protecting generations from a once-devastating disease."
In developing the vaccine, Salk and his team:
- Identified the 3 immunologic types of polioviruses.
- Perfected cell culture methods to grow the virus in large quantities.
- Discovered how to inactivate poliovirus without destroying its immune-stimulating properties.
- Created assays to test neutralizing antibodies at scale.
- Conducted early clinical trials involving thousands of Pittsburgh-area schoolchildren.
- Partnered with vaccine companies to bring the vaccine into mass production.
Their success was a collective one: more than 150 University of Pittsburgh employees-including researchers, technicians, veterinary staff, nurses, clinicians, facilities workers and administrators-contributed to this historic achievement.
Established by ASM, the Milestones in Microbiology program promotes public understanding of microbiology by honoring sites of major scientific breakthroughs. With this designation, the University of Pittsburgh joins a distinguished list of 20 other institutions whose discoveries have profoundly shaped medicine, science and society.
