Chester Hamlin Werkman (June 17, 1893, Fort Wayne, Indiana – September 10, 1962, Ames, Iowa) was an American microbiologist.
In his laboratory he worked with several noteworthy researchers over the years, including Lester O. Krampitz and Merton F. Utter (both of whom were his doctoral students).
Working with Harland G. Wood in 1936 led to an outstanding result, when it was discovered that some bacteria (of the genus Propionibacterium) can utilize CO2 as chemotrophs.
Wood and Werkman's work followed pioneering research by Cornelis Bernardus van Niel in Kluyver's laboratory.
[2] Their son Robert Theodore Werkman (1915–2012) became a chemical engineer and a U.S. Army captain, who participated in the Battle of the Bulge.