The Emile F. Pernot Distinguished Professorship in Microbiology

The Emile F. Pernot Distinguished Professorship in Microbiology was established with a gift from the estate of Mabel Pernot, who died in 1991. Miss Pernot was the daughter of Emile Pernot, who helped establish OSU's Microbiology department a century before.

Miss Pernot was born in 1900 and, except for a brief period, lived her entire life in Corvallis.

When her father was hired by OSU in 1890, he was the university's first bacteriologist and photographer. His studies ranged from plant diseases to dentistry and medicine to the effect of microorganisms on food preservation. His work in poultry diseases led him to be known as the "father of avian tuberculosis."

Miss Pernot's grandfather, George Coote, also played an important role in OSU's history—he was the university's first professor of horticulture and was responsible for many of the plantings that grace the older part of the campus today.

The Emile F. Pernot Distinguished Professorship in Microbiology is awarded to a Professor of Microbiology at OSU who is recognized as a distinguished contributor to the microbiological science, has a documented record of contributions and will continue to make contributions to the education and research missions of Oregon State University. The award includes funds to be used by the recipient's research program and in support of the Department of Microbiology.

Theo W. Dreher

In 2010 Theo Dreher became the holder of the Pernot Professorship. A member of the OSU faculty since 1987, he was named chair of the OSU Department of Microbiology in 2004. He holds a doctorate from the University of Melbourne.

Dreher conducts research in virology and in freshwater toxic cyanobacterial blooms. Studies on the virion structure of a simple plant virus, turnip yellow mosaic virus, are investigating the fundamentals of virion function and evaluating applications of virus particles in nanotechnology. Studies with cyanobacterial blooms are cataloging the genetic variability present in blooms across Oregon, as well as the presence of toxin, providing information for better informed decisions on the public health threat posed by blooms. Studies on bacteriophages (viruses) that can lyse bloom organisms may help to understand the ecology of blooms.