KLUYVER AS PROFESSOR; CHRONICLES OF THE LABORATORY 



later this very principle would be applied on an enormous scale in 

 the new factories that sprang up like mushrooms all over the world. 



The stream of dissertations and publications drew more and more 

 attention, now also abroad. The result was that not only graduate 

 students from Dutch universities chose to complete their studies under 

 Kluyver, but foreign guest workers also came to his laboratory. 



Soriano arrived from Argentina, in order to learn the methodology 

 of fermentation research; Frateur, from Belgium, made an extensive 

 study of the acetic acid bacteria ; some other chemists from the same 

 country sojourned for a time in Delft. Barker there succeeded in iso- 

 lating methane-producing bacteria in pure culture, and discovered 

 Clostridium kluyveri. He was the first of a string of guests from the U.S.A., 

 and was followed by Starkey, Johnson, and Clifton. From Israel came 

 Volcani; from Scandinavia, Hartelius and Wiken, who became Kluy- 

 ver's successor. 



The interest that Kluyver's work had created abroad was apparent 

 not only from the fact that so many foreigners came to work in his 

 institute, but also from the invitations he received to visit universities 

 in other lands in order personally to present his ideas. The invitation 

 to deliver a series of lectures during the spring semester of 1932 at 

 Iowa State College in Ames was, for the laboratory community, the 

 most momentous. He remained in the U.S. from April till the end of 

 August, and, despite a crowded program, he still found time to keep 

 his associates in Delft informed of his experiences. 



Kluyver could report that the Delft investigations were greatly 

 appreciated, especially in Ames. The following excerpt from one of his 

 letters illustrates to what extent the publications from his institute had 

 come to influence the workers at Iowa State College: 'The students 

 here can be divided into those who can read Dutch, and the smaller 

 category who cannot. Yesterday I met somebody who was pondering 

 Scheffer's mysterious fermentation balances, and who told me that 

 he would rather read Dutch than German'. 



He, in turn, had great respect for American accomplishments, such 

 as those of Buswell in Urbana: 'With this technique he has demon- 

 strated that the queerest compounds can be quantitatively converted 

 into carbon dioxide and methane. Phenylacetic- and hydrocinnamic 

 acids are instantly devoured, benzene nucleus and all! Let Mr. de 

 Graaf imitate that as soon as possible; we are shamefully behind!' 



_>., 



