Gyula Takátsy
Encyclopedia
Gyula Takátsy was a Hungarian medical doctor, microbiologist and inventor.
In 1938 he graduated from the University of Medicine in Pécs, Hungary; , and joined the staff at the Institute of Public Health, where he worked until his early death in 1980.
An influenza epidemic in Hungary
in the early 1950s led to a shortage of laboratory equipment, causing Takácsy to develop a number of new laboratory techniques and tools. These included small platinum spiral loops to replace pipette
s, and microwell plates instead of test tubes. He introduced the idea of using calibrated spiral loops for multiple serial dilution in plastic microwell plates, and coined the term 'micromethods', first published in Hungarian in 1952 and in English in 1955, for laboratory procedures carried out on a small scale. This allowed for the use of very small volumes of blood in virus research, and a considerable reduction in the use of costly serum
s and antigen
s.
The original spiral loop was similar to the platinum loop used in bacteriology - Takátsy improved it by forming multiple windings in the loop, somewhat like the filament of an incandescent light bulb
. The narrow gaps between the windings drew a constant volume of fluid by capillary action
. These were calibrated and arranged in arrays, enabling efficient dilution procedures.
The reliability of this microtechnique led to its being adopted as the standard method for serological testing at the Communicable Disease Center
.
Takátsy carried out research on the variability of antigenic structure and the pathology and epidemiology of influenza virus mutations, as well as vaccine production and control, published in some 50 papers.
He was head of the Influenza Unit (WHO
National Influenza Centre) which produced some 630 000 vaccine doses during the Hong Kong flu
pandemic of 1968/1969.
Takátsy was the member of the Board of the Hungarian Society of Microbiology and received several awards, including the Manninger Rezső Medal.
In the course of time, microwell plates underwent many modifications. Vertical spectrophotometry
readers using the Beer–Lambert law were developed and improved. Microwell plates and automated procedures have become standard in countless laboratories.
In 1938 he graduated from the University of Medicine in Pécs, Hungary; , and joined the staff at the Institute of Public Health, where he worked until his early death in 1980.
An influenza epidemic in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in the early 1950s led to a shortage of laboratory equipment, causing Takácsy to develop a number of new laboratory techniques and tools. These included small platinum spiral loops to replace pipette
Pipette
A pipette is a laboratory tool used to transport a measured volume of liquid.-Use and variations:Pipettes are commonly used in molecular biology, analytical chemistry as well as medical tests...
s, and microwell plates instead of test tubes. He introduced the idea of using calibrated spiral loops for multiple serial dilution in plastic microwell plates, and coined the term 'micromethods', first published in Hungarian in 1952 and in English in 1955, for laboratory procedures carried out on a small scale. This allowed for the use of very small volumes of blood in virus research, and a considerable reduction in the use of costly serum
Serum
Serum may refer to:*Blood serum, a component of blood which is collected after coagulation.**Antiserum, blood serum with specific antibodies for passive immunity*Serous fluid, any clear bodily fluid*any drug derived from an animal's blood or serous fluid...
s and antigen
Antigen
An antigen is a foreign molecule that, when introduced into the body, triggers the production of an antibody by the immune system. The immune system will then kill or neutralize the antigen that is recognized as a foreign and potentially harmful invader. These invaders can be molecules such as...
s.
The original spiral loop was similar to the platinum loop used in bacteriology - Takátsy improved it by forming multiple windings in the loop, somewhat like the filament of an incandescent light bulb
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
. The narrow gaps between the windings drew a constant volume of fluid by capillary action
Capillary action
Capillary action, or capilarity, is the ability of a liquid to flow against gravity where liquid spontanously rise in a narrow space such as between the hair of a paint-brush, in a thin tube, or in porous material such as paper or in some non-porous material such as liquified carbon fiber, or in a...
. These were calibrated and arranged in arrays, enabling efficient dilution procedures.
The reliability of this microtechnique led to its being adopted as the standard method for serological testing at the Communicable Disease Center
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
.
Takátsy carried out research on the variability of antigenic structure and the pathology and epidemiology of influenza virus mutations, as well as vaccine production and control, published in some 50 papers.
He was head of the Influenza Unit (WHO
Who
Who may refer to:* Who , an English-language pronoun* who , a Unix command* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism- Art and entertainment :* Who? , a 1958 novel by Algis Budrys...
National Influenza Centre) which produced some 630 000 vaccine doses during the Hong Kong flu
Hong Kong flu
The Hong Kong flu was a category 2 flu pandemic whose outbreak in 1968 and 1969 killed an estimated one million people worldwide. It was caused by an H3N2 strain of the influenza A virus, descended from H2N2 through antigenic shift, a genetic process in which genes from multiple subtypes reassorted...
pandemic of 1968/1969.
Takátsy was the member of the Board of the Hungarian Society of Microbiology and received several awards, including the Manninger Rezső Medal.
In the course of time, microwell plates underwent many modifications. Vertical spectrophotometry
Spectrophotometry
In chemistry, spectrophotometry is the quantitative measurement of the reflection or transmission properties of a material as a function of wavelength...
readers using the Beer–Lambert law were developed and improved. Microwell plates and automated procedures have become standard in countless laboratories.