= C. E. Cook
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<C. E. Cook> is the first author of a 1966 study isolating <strigol>, a chemical that stimulates <germination> in the root-parasitic plant <Striga>. The team obtained crystalline material from <cotton> <root exudates> and connected the purified compound to a biological response.<Germination of Witchweed (Striga lutea Lour.): Isolation and Properties of a Potent Stimulant by C. E. Cook and others>[Original byline and Abstract: isolation and germination stimulation]{ref}
The experiment separated an active substance from a complex mixture. Activity in the original exudate could have arisen from many compounds; obtaining a defined crystalline stimulant allowed the response to be associated with a more specific chemical candidate.<Germination of Witchweed (Striga lutea Lour.): Isolation and Properties of a Potent Stimulant by C. E. Cook and others>[Abstract: crystalline strigol isolated from cotton exudates]{ref}
The readout was <germination>. It did not by itself demonstrate subsequent attachment, invasion or successful growth of the parasite on <cotton>. Distinguishing an initiating cue from the complete biological interaction prevents an assay result from being mistaken for proof of host compatibility.
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