Bruce Glick

Bruce Glick (May 5, 1927 - February 19, 2009) was a poultry scientist known for discovering the role of antibody production in the Bursa of Fabricius.

Early life and education Bruce Glick grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was interested in birds as a child. Glick served in World War II. In 1950 he married Kay McCall. He received an M.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts in genetics in 1952 and attended Ohio State University as a Ph.D. student, graduating with a PhD in physiology in 1955.

Career After graduating, Glick joined Mississippi State University Poultry Science Department and became a professor.

Scientists building on Glick's work combined bursectomy with thymectomy to demonstrate that the bursa controlled immune responses associated with circulating antibodies, whereas the thymus controlled cellular immunity. Chicken research was the first source of the two-component (B cells and T cells concept) of immunity. The knowledge of the bursa function helped to facilitate the technique of administering chicken vaccines while the chicken was still in the egg. Glick retired from Clemson in 1995.

Honors and awards Glick received the Merck Award for Research in Poultry Science in 1978. In 2014, he was inducted into the Mississippi Poultry Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was recognized with the Golden Goose Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science for his work.