Steele, Edward John (1948- )

Australian immunologist whose research into the inheritance of immunity has lent a certain amount of support to the Lamarckian theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, thus challenging modern theories of heredity and evolution.

Steele was born in Darwin, Northern Territory, and educated at the University of Adelaide. He carried out research at the Ontario Cancer Institute, Canada, 1977-80, and then moved to the UK to work at the Medical Research Council in Harrow, Middlesex.

Steele found that mice that have been made immune to certain antigens can pass on this acquired immunity to first and second generations of their offspring.