bordet

Bordet is a surname of French origin that is found in Belgium and France and in other Francophone areas. It is believed to be a toponymic or occupational surname, potentially deriving from a place name or from a descriptor related to edges or borders.

Notable individuals bearing the name include Jules Bordet (1870–1961), a Belgian bacteriologist and immunologist. Bordet was a pioneering figure in the study of immunity, contributing to the understanding of the complement system and humoral defense. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries in immunity. The Bordet name is also associated with a lineage of microbiology and infectious disease research, largely because of his work.

The surname is commemorated in microbiology through eponymous taxa and media. The genus Bordetella, named after Jules Bordet, comprises several Gram-negative bacteria that infect mammals. The most notable species is Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough. A laboratory medium developed to isolate this organism is the Bordet-Gengou medium, created by Bordet and Octave Gengou. Other Bordetella species include B. bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis, which can cause respiratory infections in animals and humans.

In summary, bordet denotes a family name with French roots that has become linked to significant contributions in microbiology and immunology, most prominently through Jules Bordet and the bacterial genus Bordetella and related culture media.