William "Barny" Whitman, Ph.D.
University of Georgia
William "Barny" Whitman received his Ph.D. in 1978 from The University of Texas at Austin in the laboratory of F. Robert Tabita studying autotrophy in phototrophic bacteria. He then conducted his postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Ralph S. Wolfe at the University of Illinois at Urbana studying methanogenesis. When he started his own laboratory at the University of Georgia at Athens in 1982, he initially focused on developing genetic systems in the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus, as well the pathway of autotrophic CO2 assimilation.
Since then, his research has focused on the physiology, systematics and ecology of environmentally important microorganisms. Systematics have also been a central part of Whitman's work, developing a popular method for determination of the mol % G+C and helping to describe a number of new species. He also served as secretary of the ICSB Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Methanogenic Bacteria, associate editor of the International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, supervising editor of the "Bergey’s Manual on the Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria" and teasurer of the ICSP.
Since then, his research has focused on the physiology, systematics and ecology of environmentally important microorganisms. Systematics have also been a central part of Whitman's work, developing a popular method for determination of the mol % G+C and helping to describe a number of new species. He also served as secretary of the ICSB Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Methanogenic Bacteria, associate editor of the International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, supervising editor of the "Bergey’s Manual on the Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria" and teasurer of the ICSP.