Nathan Augustus Cobb

Nathan Augustus Cobb (30 June 1859 – 4 June 1932) is known as "the father of nematology in the United States". He provided the foundations for nematode taxonomy and described over 1000 different nematode species. His technical innovations in nematological methods included fixation and preservation techniques; the Cobb metal mounting slide; improvements in photography and microscopic equipment; and the first device to use flotation to remove nematodes from soil.

An individual with a variety of skills, he made significant contributions to a number of scientific disciplines and the USDA Nematology Laboratory, originally established with him as the director, continues today. He was the father of Frjeda Blanchard, the geneticist who first demonstrated Mendelian inheritance in reptiles.