In October 2007, a group of 200 immunologists collected at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne to remember and celebrate a famous birth. Fifty years earlier, in 1957, the Director of WEHI, Sir Macfarlane Burnet published a short 'preliminary account' of his clonal selection theory in the Australian Journal of Science. This paper outlined clearly for the first time the principles that would underlie the era of modern cellular and molecular immunology. To remember the genesis of the paper, and to note the remarkable scientific and social consequences that followed, the WEHI hosted the meeting 'The Power of One Idea: The Golden Anniversary of Burnet's Clonal Selection Theory'.
Speakers at the meeting included representatives of different generations of scientists. Frank Fenner, Gordon Ada, Ian Mackay and Gus Nossal worked with Burnet and recalled the era. Others such as Jacques Miller, Graham Mitchell, Jon Sprent, Tony Basten and Chris Parish came to WEHI after the birth of the new theory and helped mine the rich vein of research that it inspired. Later generations attending the meeting included Michael Neuberger, Tim Mosmann, Polly Matzinger, Ian Frazer and Nobel laureates Peter Doherty and Rolf Zinkernagel. All of the 30 invited speakers were chosen due to their close affiliation with immunology and the further testing and development of the clonal selection theory.
It is fitting, and with pride, that manuscripts from the speakers at our conference have been collected for publication here in this issue of ICB. It is fitting because Burnet himself fostered and supported the development of this journal and published over 90 papers under its earlier name The Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine. Fortunately, all of these papers are now available by web access and a number of outstanding papers are included in the classic papers section of the ICB website. Any young immunologist is well advised to read Burnet's classic papers to appreciate the crystal clear prose, the clarity of thought and sharp example of the generalist at work.
In so many ways Burnet stood out. He is remembered as an intuitive thinker and a great example of an eclectic statesman scientist. His two major contributions to immune theory—acquired tolerance, for which he won the Nobel Prize, in 1991 and clonal selection—are widely celebrated, and he is still remembered for his many contributions to virology and microbiology. However, Australians remember Sir Mac for another important reason. While science is ultimately shared and free of boundaries, Burnet seems to have realized early in his career that he could play a role in the development of medical research in the young country of Australia. He chose to work in Melbourne, breaking the pattern of the day for the brightest Australians to work in Britain. As a result, medical researchers collected around him and his fertile imagination and ideas seeded new directions to explore and gave confidence to ensuing generations of Australian scientists.
Our conference celebrated one paper, but more generally it celebrated the primacy of ideas and the scientific and social impact they can have. I sincerely hope you enjoy these articles and are inspired to foster the spirit that treasures and appreciates the great value of ideas.
