ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 27, 1996 TAG: 9609270050
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
TYPE: NEWS OBIT
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
W.E. "Ed" C. Moore died Wednesday from cancer after a 40-year research career in anaerobic microbiology at Virginia Tech. He was 68.
Perhaps one of Moore's greatest accomplishments was a system he developed in the 1960s for growing anaerobic bacteria in a laboratory setting because its very nature prevents it from growing in an environment "contaminated" with oxygen.
His team trained doctors how to find, culture and kill anaerobic bacteria to cure their patients.
Moore retired from Tech in 1995 as a university distinguished professor of anaerobic microbiology after teaching and doing research in the biology, biochemistry and veterinary science departments.
Tracy Wilkins, director of biotechnology at Tech's Center for Biotechnology, said Moore's work put Tech on the map and drew medical doctors from around the world to the university.
"At the time, his research went against the common perceptions of the world's medical community," Wilkins said. "He proved that anaerobic bacteria are causative agents for human disease, especially post-surgical and other post-trauma infections. Because of Dr. Moore's work, the textbooks were rewritten - he made contributions that will last forever."
Warren Strother of Blacksburg first met Moore while the two served in the Army in 1947. The two men also worked together at the university where Strother was a public relations officer.
Strother said Moore was "a very fine scientist" who "never got sufficient credit for what he's done."
"A lot of medical schools were taught by him," Strother said.
Moore is survived by his wife and research associate Lillian H. "Peg" Moore, also a university distinguished professor. The couple worked side by side from 1966 until they retired last year.
She said her husband's research accomplishments were many, but he harbored other talents such as oil painting, gardening and carpentry.
"He made lots of things for the lab," she said. "If he saw something we needed; he'd come home and whip something up in the cellar.
"He was a genuinely nice person and I will miss him."
A funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the McCoy Funeral Home Chapel, 204 S. Main St., Blacksburg.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 446, Christiansburg, Va. 24073, or the New River Valley Hospice Inc., 111 W. Main St., Christiansburg, Va., 24073.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Moore.by CNB