Barbara McClintock.(1902-1992) was making key genetic discoveries, in spite of the societal restrictions on her gender.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan. And this is Encyclopedia Womannica.
Even before the discovery of DNA’s importance officially hit the history books, today’s STEM-inist was making key genetic discoveries, in spite of the societal restrictions on her gender. Let’s talk about Barbara McClintock.
Barbara was born on June 16, 1902, in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1908, her family moved to Brooklyn, where Barbara attended Erasmus High School. Barbara’s father was a physician, and she grew up with a keen interest in science and research. While most of her family was skeptical of her interests, likely due to a combination of gender norms and financial restrictions, her father supported Barbara’s scientific pursuits.
After graduating high school in 1919, Barbara started studying at Cornell’s College of Agriculture. By 1927, she earned her bachelor’s, masters, and doctorate in Botany. Women weren’t allowed to study genetics at Cornell at the time, but Barbara got as close as she could by studying the genetics of corn on a cellular level. Through that work, she became a pioneer in the field of cytogenetics, or the study of chromosomes. In fact, she had such an impact that calling her a pioneer feels like an understatement. In a 1931 paper published in partnership with another woman colleague, Barbara proved for the first time that chromosomes are the basis of genetics.
Throughout the 1930’s, Barbara was scouted for fellowships from multiple prestigious institutions, including the National Research Council and the Guggenheim Foundation. She performed genetic research at Cornell, the California Institute of Technology, and other universities.
Barbara attempted to work at Cornell, her alma mater, but the institution refused to hire a female professor. So, in 1936, Barbara started working as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri. Unfortunately, after a few years of working there, she hit another roadblock when she realized the University would likely not grant her tenure. She was forced to move on from academia.
By 1941, Barbara had a new job conducting research on Long Island at the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Genetics. What was supposed to be a one-year research position turned into a lifetime gig.
Throughout Barbara’s career, she focused on the genetics of corn and what caused the mutations in appearance that make indian corn have multi-colored kernels. This may seem innocuous, but the pursuit of these answers led to key findings that apply to all genes.
Barbara bred generation after generation of indian corn and isolated the two genes, or “controlling elements,” that influence the other genes responsible for pigmentation. In the process of this discovery, she found what are now called “mobile genetic elements,” or “jumping genes.” These are genetic sequences that can move around a genome from generation to generation, making neighboring genes behave differently.
Jumping genes occur in almost all living things and they’re one of the most important causes of genetic mutations -- even in humans!
Though Barbara’s key discoveries earned her a position as vice president of the Genetics Society of America in 1939 and president of the Genetics Society in 1944, the gravity of her work didn’t sink in for some time. The papers she published were often ridiculed or outright ignored. She eventually stopped publishing papers and giving lectures as a result of the harsh criticism. Still, she never stopped conducting research, and she shared the results with a small group of colleagues.
In 1957, the National Science Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation funded Barbara’s research abroad, where she studied different varieties of corn in South and Central America. She traveled throughout the region, mentoring young college students and scientists along the way.
In the1970’s, biologists began to confirm Barbara’s research, which at one time had been considered radical. When the scientific community realized Barbara had been right all along, she received multiple awards -- including the 1983 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. She was the first woman to be the sole recipient of the award in that category. She was 81 years old.
Barbara McClintock passed away on September 2nd, 1992, at the age of 90.
Like many women conducting key research in the 20th century, Barbara didn’t receive the recognition she deserved right away. Nevertheless, her personal curiosity and love for science kept her going for her decades of groundbreaking work, and she lived to see the record of history set straight.
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Talk to you tomorrow!