born Sept. 3, 1899, Traralgon, Vic., Austl.
died Aug. 31, 1985, Melbourne, Vic.
Australian physician and virologist.
Burnet received his medical degree from the University of Melbourne. He later discovered a method for identifying bacteria by the viruses (bacteriophages) that attack them, and he shared a 1960 Nobel Prize with Peter Medawar for the discovery of acquired immunological tolerance to tissue transplants. He was knighted in 1951.