What Role Does Lysenko Play In Russian Biology

DeJong-Lambert’s investigation of Muller, one of the most outspoken critics of Lysenko helps portray how Lysenko rose to power in Russian biology. Lysenko had power in Russian biology because he was supported by Stalin. Lysenko’s methods were supported by Stalin and by the 1930s, numerous collective farms had been forced to employ his methods (DeJong-Lambert 89). Muller and his research team had moved to Moscow in 1934 and were asked to help Vavilov plan the Seventh International Genetics Congress. Vavilov was forced to make Lysenko a committee member due to his popularity and approval from Stalin (DeJong-Lambert 88). Later, Vavilov was dismissed as president of VASKhNIL while Lysenko and a number of his supporters were appointed as members …show more content…
Koltsov was a Russian biologist and geneticist who proposed the idea of the cytoskeleton as well as ideas about how traits are inherited ("Nikolai Koltsov"). In the late 1930s, supports of Lysenko published multiple propaganda pieces denouncing him and his studies. His official cause of death is a stroke, however, a biochemist Zbarsky revealed that his death was a resulting of poisoning by the secret police ("Nikolai Koltsov"). Another scientist we discussed was Sergei Chetverikov. Chetverikov was researched modern evolutionary synthesis and his work influenced other Russian geneticists including, Dobzhansky ("Chetverikov, Sergei Sergeevich"). Chetverikov was dismissed from his position at the Department of Genetics at Gorky University in 1948 due to the demands of Lysenko("Chetverikov, Sergei Sergeevich"). These other scientists and the suppression of their works helps show that Lysenko had political support and the government influenced what scientific information the public could see and what topics scientists could research. Lysenko rose to power within Russian biology because Stalin’s government made it