born Jan. 24, 1828, Breslau, Silesia, Prussia
died June 25, 1898, Breslau
German naturalist and botanist, considered one of the founders of bacteriology.
He received a Ph.D. from the University of Berlin at age 19. His early research centred on the single-celled algae, and his accounts of the life histories of various algae species are of permanent value. He was among the first to attempt to arrange bacteria into genera and species on a systematic basis. Among his most striking contributions was his discovery of the formation and germination of spores in certain bacteria. During his lifetime Cohn was recognized as the foremost bacteriologist of his day.