Datta, Naomi (1922–)

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Datta, Naomi (1922–)

English bacteriologist. Born Naomi Goddard, Sept 17, 1922; married S.P. Datta, 1943.

Known for research on bacteria, worked as a senior bacteriologist at Public Health Laboratory Service (1947–57); taught microbial genetics at Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London (1957–84); proved that antibiotic resistance could be transferred between bacteria (1st time proven outside of Japan); identified and catalogued drug resistant bacteria; elected fellow to Royal College of Pathologists (1973) and to Royal Society (1985); joined Centre for Genetic Anthropology (1996) to study Y chromosome variation in Greeks, Greek Cypriots, Turks, and Turkish Cypriots.