Alexander Keynan

Alexander (Alex) Keynan (18 February 1921 – 7 May 2012) was an Israeli microbiologist. He was co-founder and the first director of Israel Institute for Biological Research.^[1]

Biography

Alexander Kotznok (later Keynan) was born in Kiev, Ukraine to Rachel and Ephraim Kotznok (1883–1963), an industrialist, insurance agent and an active

In 1945, Keynan married Malka Ben-Zvi. The couple had two daughters. His paternal aunt was Bracha Peli.

Scientific and academic career

In 1948, with the establishment of the Israel Defense Forces, Keynan joined the Science Corps (חיל המדע) and thereafter was a founding member of the Israel Institute for Biological Research in Ness Ziona^[2] and its first director. Keynan served as the Chief Scientific Director of the Institute and the director of the Institute of bacteriology.

In 1964, Keynan was appointed to the chairman position of the National Council for Research and Development (Hebrew: המועצה הלאומית למחקר ופיתוח אזרחי).^[1] In 1967 Keynan was appointed as the head of the Institute of Life Sciences (המכון למדעי החיים) at the Hebrew University. During this period he was appointed as a member of the Atomic Energy Commission (הוועדה לאנרגיה אטומית).

Until his retirement in 1990,