Albert Bernhard Frank

Albert Bernhard Frank
Portrait of A. B. Frank
Born(1839-01-17)January 17, 1839
Dresden
DiedSeptember 27, 1900(1900-09-27) (aged 61)
Berlin
NationalityGerman
Other namesA. B. Frank
Occupation(s)botanist, plant pathologist, mycologist
Known forcoining the term "mycorrhiza"

Albert Bernhard Frank (January 17, 1839 – September 27, 1900) was a German botanist, plant pathologist, and mycologist, born in Dresden. He is credited with coining the term mycorrhiza in his 1885 paper "Über die auf Wurzelsymbiose beruhende Ernährung gewisser Bäume durch unterirdische Pilze".[1][2]

Frank was commissioned to develop practical methods for truffle cultivation by the King of Prussia (Wilhelm I). Although this project was not successful, it led to his elucidation of the nature and development of mycorrhizae. The history and impacts of Frank's work on mycorrhizae were reviewed by Trappe.[3]

The bacterial genus Frankia and family Frankiaceae were named after him.[4]

In 1877, Albert Frank coined the term "symbiosis" (German: Symbiose) to describe the nature of lichens. He died in Berlin.

The standard author abbreviation A.B.Frank is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[5]
  1. ^ Frank, A.B. (1885). "Über die auf Wurzelsymbiose beruhende Ernährung gewisser Bäume durch unterirdische Pilze" [On the nourishing, via root symbiosis, of certain trees by underground fungi]. Berichte der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft (in German). 3: 128–145.
  2. ^ Frank, B. (2005-06-01). "On the nutritional dependence of certain trees on root symbiosis with belowground fungi (an English translation of A.B. Frank's classic paper of 1885)". Mycorrhiza. 15 (4): 267–275. doi:10.1007/s00572-004-0329-y. PMID 15549482. S2CID 29199748.
  3. ^ Trappe, James M. (2005). "A.B. Frank and mycorrhizae: the challenge to evolutionary and ecologic theory". Mycorrhiza. 15 (4): 277–281. doi:10.1007/s00572-004-0330-5. PMID 15503185. S2CID 35720314.
  4. ^ Prokaryotic symbionts in plants by Katharina Pawlowski, p. 107
  5. ^ International Plant Names Index.  A.B.Frank.