The method is named after the British biologist Edwin Southern, who first published it in 1975. Other blotting methods (i.e., western blot, northern blot, eastern blot, southwestern blot) that employ similar principles, but using RNA or protein, have later been named for compass directions as a sort of pun from Southern's name. As the label is eponymous, Southern is capitalized, as is conventional of proper nouns. The names for other blotting methods may follow this convention, by analogy.
The method is named after the British biologist Edwin Southern who first published it in 1975 Other blotting methods (ie western blot northern blot eastern blot southwestern blot) that employ similar principles but using RNA or protein have later been named for compass directions as a sort of pun from Southern's name As the label is eponymous Southern is capitalized as is conventional of proper nouns The names for other blotting methods may follow this convention by analogy