Jumping genes! Barbara McClintock (1902 – 1992) American Scientist and Cytogeneticist (study of the structure and function of the cell, especially the chromosomes)

Early Years Born on June 16, 1902 in Connecticut, U.S.A. Was the third of four children born to physician parents Was an independent child at a very young age. Began school at 3. Was described as a tomboy. Discovered her love of science when she studies at Erasmus Hall High School. (third from left)

Education Began her studies at Cornell’s College of Agriculture in 1919. Took up music Studies botany Her interest in genetics began when she took her first course in that field in 1921 Her lecturer was impressed by McClintock’s interest in genetics. Although it was reported that women could not major in genetics at Cornell, she received her Master and PhD in 1925 and 1927 respectively.

Career Started her career as the leader in the development of the genetic structure of maize, how one generation of corn passes its genetic traits on to the next. Her perseverance was seen as being obstinate. She was excluded from faculty meetings, her requests for research support were denied, and her chances for advancement were made clear: If she ever decided to marry, she’d be fired. If her research partner left the university, she’d be fired. The dean was waiting for an excuse to fire her. Getting a teaching and research position in universities were harder for women during that time, especially in the area of Science but she did not give up.

Career – Her discovery During her first year of graduate school at Cornell University, she decided to work on identifying different part of the corn’s 10 chromosomes. She was a sharp and brilliant woman and found the answer that her advisor had not been able to find. In 1929, she and a graduate student bred together one strain of corn with waxy, purple kernels with another strain that had kernels that were neither waxy nor eggplant-coloured. McClintock’s experiments showed that some kernels inherited one trait but not the other, for example, brightly coloured kernels without the waxy texture.

Career When she looked at the chromosomes through a microscope, she found that their appearance was noticeably different, and in the cases where kernels had one trait but no the other, parts of a chromosome had traded place.

Career This discovery of genes being able to switch on and off and change locations was hailed as one of the greatest experiments of modern biology and she made this discovery at 29 years old. Was recognised amongst the best in the field, awarded prestigious fellowships , elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1944.

Career After that, due to skepticism of her research and its implications, she stopped publishing her findings in 1953. She did not give up and continued her research. Acceptance of her ideas came only nearly 20 years later. In 1957, she received funding from the National Academy of Sciences to start research on indigenous strains of maize in Central America and South America. In 1960s and 1970s, other scientists confirmed her findings.

Career She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983, 32 years after her big-but-ignored discovery. When asked if she was bitter it took so long to get the recognition, she replied, “No, no, no. You’re having a good time. You don’t need public recognition, and I mean this quite seriously, you don’t need it. When you know you’re right you don’t care. It’s such a pleasure to carry out an experiment when you think of something…”

Later years… After her Nobel Prize, she still remained as a key leader and researcher. Died of natural causes in 1992 at the age of 90 Never married or had children