Rupert Jethro Best (1903–91), working alone at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in Adelaide between 1934 and 1937, was among the first to purify tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and to propose that it was a complex macromolecule containing protein and another reactive group that was responsible for infectivity of the virus. However, his research was completely overshadowed by that of Wendell Stanley and the duo of Frederick Bawden and Norman (aka Bill) Pirie, working in the United States of America and Great Britain, respectively, to the point where Best is not even mentioned in modern histories of TMV. Many factors have contributed to this lack of recognition for Best. Professor James Prescott, a soil scientist and Best’s supervisor at the Waite Institute, failed to appreciate the significance of his research, leading to critical delays in publication that prevented him from claiming precedence for purifying TMV. When Best’s research was eventually published, it was in Australian journals that were not broadly distributed, resulting in minimal international exposure for his research. The plant virology community within which he worked in Australia was very small and entirely focused on plant disease control, and not concerned with fundamental questions about the composition of viruses. Communication with similarly interested scientists in the Northern Hemisphere was hindered by the great distances involved. In this paper, pioneering research done by Best on TMV is reviewed, and placed in context with that undertaken by Stanley and by Bawden and Pirie, who are best remembered for purifying TMV and characterising its physicochemical properties.

鲁珀特·杰思罗·贝斯特 (Rupert Jethro Best，1903-91 年) 于 1934 年至 1937 年间在阿德莱德韦特农业研究所独自工作，是最早纯化烟草花叶病毒 (TMV) 并提出它是一种复杂大分子的人之一，其中含有蛋白质和另一种活性物质。负责病毒传染性的群体。然而，他的研究完全被温德尔·斯坦利（Wendell Stanley）以及分别在美国和英国工作的弗雷德里克·鲍登（Frederick Bawden）和诺曼（又名比尔）·皮里（Norman（又名比尔）皮里）的研究所掩盖，以至于现代科学中甚至没有提到贝斯特。 TMV 的历史。许多因素导致贝斯特得不到认可。韦特研究所 (Waite Institute) 土壤科学家兼贝斯特 (Best) 导师詹姆斯·普雷斯科特 (James Prescott) 教授未能认识到他的研究的重要性，导致发表严重延迟，使他无法声称纯化 TMV 的优先权。当贝斯特的研究最终发表时，它发表在澳大利亚期刊上，并未广泛发行，导致他的研究在国际上的曝光率极低。他在澳大利亚工作的植物病毒学界规模很小，完全专注于植物病害控制，而不关心有关病毒组成的基本问题。由于距离遥远，与北半球同样感兴趣的科学家的交流受到阻碍。本文回顾了 Best 对 TMV 所做的开创性研究，并将其与 Stanley、Bawden 和 Pirie 所做的研究放在一起，他们因纯化 TMV 并表征其物理化学性质而被人们铭记。