The (other) legacy of Dr. Rebecca Lancefield...
Of course, the microbiology world knows Rebecca Lancefield for her pioneering work at The Rockefeller University throughout much of the 20th century, mapping out the molecular diversity of streptococci. However, another lesser known fact about this remarkable person was that she was the holder of a pretty amazing eggnog recipe! Although she passed away in 1981, Dr. Lancefield's legacy (both scientific and celebratory) lives on at Rockefeller through her once-colleague Dr. Vincent Fischetti. For decades, the Fischetti laboratory has carefully crafted the Lancefield eggnog as the centerpiece of the group's fabled Christmas party.
That tradition continues to spread even further with folks who trained with Dr. Fischetti and now conduct research at other institutions around the world. This includes the Schmitz laboratory at Vanderbilt, as Jonathan is an alum of Rockefeller and the Fischetti lab from 2011. We are proud to faithfully make the Lancefield eggnog each December, in honor of all the great microbiology that has come before us... and as a testament to the fact that the flora of raw eggs stand no match for enough bourbon and rum!!
