ABSTRACT
On an early Monday morning in June 1956, Jean Lindenmann arrived at the gates of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) at Mill Hill, London, for the first time. The Institute’s enormous main entrance and seven-storeyed building, which overlooked both London’s northern suburbs and the adjacent countryside, made a profound impact on the young medical researcher from Switzerland (see Figure 1). On his way to the Division of Bacteriology and Virus Research on the second floor, Lindenmann became even more impressed when he glimpsed at the interior of some of the laboratories. All imaginable equipment seemed to be available. This was confirmed later on when Lindenmann was shown around the Institute by the head of the Division of Bacteriology and Virus Research, and Deputy Director of the NIMR, Christopher Andrewes.
