German bacteriologist, was born on February 21, 1866. He studied medicine at the universities of Erlangen, Vienna and Munich.
In 1891 he joined the newly created Institute for Disease Infectious directed R. Koch in Berlin. Were both in the scientific section and in the clinic.
In 1893 he was assigned to study group of cholera, and from 1895 to 1896 he was medical inspector at the Institute for diphtheria antitoxin control.
worked with Paul Ehrlich and in 1896 conducted experiments to break the bonds toxin-antitoxin, which was helpful to create the side-chain theory of Ehrlich.
In 1906 he came to direct the unit of experimental therapeutics and research in fluid therapy at the Institute of Infectious Diseases. In it, he developed an ingenious reaction hemolytic diagnosing syphilis (caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum) . This reaction is also called a "reaction of complement deviation" or "Bordet-Wassermann reaction." It was released by itself Wassermann and Albert Neisser (discoverer of the gonococcus) and its partners.
This reaction is based on the detection of serum antibodies to the syphilis bacteria. The test has great value because syphilis may be present in the body for many years, causing extensive damage, before producing symptoms. At the start of the reaction is just to discover the causative agent, Treponema pallidum, but was not able to grow. Wassermann antigen used in place of bacterial an aqueous extract of syphilitic fetal liver. The test gave a high proportion of positive results in syphilis, and negative results in normal controls. Thus, the Wassermann soon became a global test and a valuable method in the microbiological diagnosis of syphilis.
Wasserman left the Infectious Diseases Institute in 1913 to head the department of experimental therapeutics for the Advancement of Science in Berlin. It was in this position until the date of his death.
In the last years of his life was affected by Bright's disease (a type of nephritis).
work Author: Tormo Botella, Cristina.
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