One of Campbell's most celebrated accomplishments was demonstrating the relationship between the genome of bacteriophage lambda (one of a group of viruses that attack bacteria) and its host. In the 1950s, he concluded that bacteriophage lambda associates with and dissociates from its host by inserting and removing a circular viral genome, or set of genes, into the bacterial chromosome. This finding, known as the Campbell model, has led the way for genetic and biochemical studies of site-specific recombination, the exchange of genetic information between the genomes of different species. It also stands as a landmark precursor of current research on the manipulation of genomes.
These early studies led to other noted achievements, including Campbell's discovery of nonsense mutations and important work on bacterial gene regulation. His studies of microbial population dynamics and the evolution of genome structure have increased microbiologists' understanding of such questions as how viruses act as agents of evolution for host genomes and the interaction between bacteriophage evolution and population structure.
As well as his formidable body of research, Campbell is also noted for his extraordinary commitment to the profession of microbiology as an author, educator, and mentor. For over three decades, he has served as associate editor, and then editor, of the Annual Review of Genetics, and he has filled positions as editor or editorial board member for Virology, the Journal of Virology, Gene, and many other prestigious journals.
Campbell earned his B.S. degree at the University of California and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois. He began his academic career at the University of Michigan, spending a decade at the University of Rochester before moving to Stanford University in 1968. A Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and holds honorary degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Rochester.
The Abbott-ASM Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at the 104th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), May 23–27, 2004, in New Orleans, Louisiana. ASM is the largest single life science society, composed of over 42,000 scientists, teachers, physicians, and health professionals. Its mission is to promote research and training in the microbiological sciences and to assist communication between scientists, policymakers, and the public to improve health, economic well-being, and the environment.