14 Facts About Sergei Winogradsky

Sergei Winogradsky discovered the first known form of lithotrophy during his research with Beggiatoa in 1887.

Sergei Winogradsky reported that Beggiatoa oxidized hydrogen sulfide as an energy source and formed intracellular sulfur droplets.

Sergei Winogradsky is best known in school science as the inventor of the Winogradsky column technique for the study of sediment microbes.

Sergei Winogradsky was born in Kyiv, Russian Empire to a family of wealthy lawyers.

In Gorodok Sergei Winogradsky addressed the problems of agriculture and soil science.

Sergei Winogradsky introduced new management methods, bought the best varieties of seeds, plants, and livestock, and advanced technology.

Sergei Winogradsky's estate became one of the richest and most successful in Podolia, and remained profitable even during the First World War, falling under Austro-Hungarian occupation.

Sergei Winogradsky retired from active scientific work in 1905, dividing his time between his private estate in Gorodok and Switzerland.

In 1923 Sergei Winogradsky became an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences despite his emigration.

Sergei Winogradsky retired from active life in 1940 and died in Brie-Comte-Robert in 1953.

Sergei Winogradsky discovered various biogeochemical cycles and parts of these cycles.

Sergei Winogradsky is best known for discovering chemoautotrophy, which soon became popularly known as chemosynthesis, the process by which organisms derive energy from a number of different inorganic compounds and obtain carbon in the form of carbon dioxide.

Sergei Winogradsky was one of the first researchers to attempt to understand microorganisms outside of the medical context, making him among the first students of microbial ecology and environmental microbiology.

The Sergei Winogradsky column remains an important display of chemoautotrophy and microbial ecology, demonstrated in microbiology lectures around the world.