The Hidden Heroes of STEM: Women's Unseen Roles in Science
- tblincoln24
- Feb 26, 2024
- 6 min read
Can you name three women in science? How about if they are NOT Marie Curie, Grace Hopper, or Sally Ride?
This week we are going to pause to focus on topics that we can learn about and grow to change and celebrate some of the powerful women in science and technology who are doing just that.
Minorities in any field after reporting that they work harder, face more setbacks, and need to have more resilience than their counterparts. This week will be all about the powerful women who may not be as well-known as pioneers in their fields, even if we use their knowledge, publications, or technology every day.
Further, names like Einstein, Darwin, and Tesla are well-known and popular, but do we know what they accomplished as scientists? We do know exactly what Hedy Lamarr, Melitta Bents, and Shirley Ann Jackson invented, but do we know those names?
Hedy Lamar is responsible for “frequency hopping”, the foundation that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth use. Melitta Bentz has a patent for the coffee filter. Each time your phone tells you “potential spam” is thanks to Shirley Ann Jackson, who created technology for caller ID.
But wait, what did Tesla do again? Was that a real person, and not just electric cars?
This is dedicated to the strong women before us, the legacy of mothers and grandmothers who did not accept no for an answer. For the trailblazers and boundary breakers, and for all those who have fought to see that a woman’s place is wherever she wants to be. To the dads, the grandpas, and the brothers, we wouldn’t be here without you making our world a better place.
Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna CRISPER Tech
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2020, CRISPER Technology
What is a CRISPER? Like an Air Fryer?
Let's catch up a few centuries first, in 1869, Swiss physiological chemist Friedrich Miescher discovered what we now accept as DNA, deoxyribose nucleic acid. He tried to highlight the importance of his discovery, but as the Swiss do, undersold its importance. Unfortunately, the Science community did not care much until 50 years later when our grade school science class picked up. Charles Darwin entered the picture and looked at how flocks of birds seem to be different, and published about genes changing over time to adapt to their environmental need for survival. Nearly 100 years after DNA was discovered, Watson and Crick published about DNA’s structure in a double helix pattern.
Now, we know that DNA is a series of proteins, that make up life, they are unique, they change, and they live in a very specific and unique structure.
Now, what is a CRISPER?
In the simplest teams, a CRISPER is a biological pair of scissors that can be used to edit genes.
In 2020, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna for their development of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, a groundbreaking achievement in the field of molecular biology. This revolutionary technology allows scientists to edit the DNA of any organism with unprecedented precision, opening up new possibilities for treating genetic diseases, developing new medicines, and advancing our understanding of biology.
Charpentier and Doudna's work has not only transformed the field of genetics but has also sparked a new wave of innovation and research in biotechnology. Their collaboration exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary research and the importance of collaboration in scientific discovery.
The awarding of the Nobel Prize to Charpentier and Doudna is a testament to the impact of their work and serves as a reminder of the essential role that women play in advancing science and technology. Their achievement inspires future generations of scientists, particularly women, to pursue their passion for discovery and push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of science.
64 women in total have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2023. A double female team is even more unique.
Remember Dr.’s Watson and Crick, the DNA guys? They are credited for discovering that DNA lives in a double helix structure. Their discovery was in 1953, and won them the Nobel Prize in 1962. However, there was another scientist who was pivotal to their discovery, and Watson himself stated that they (he and Crick) would not have done it without that additional data.
Meet Rosalind Franklin
Dr. Franklin was a DNA Scientist in the 1950s and specialized in X-ray crystallography, an imaging technique she used to look at the structure of atoms.
Her work produced crucial data that revealed the helical structure of DNA and the spacing of the nitrogenous bases within it. This data was shared without her knowledge with James Watson and Francis Crick, who used it to develop their famous model of the DNA double helix.
If you have heard the term Photo 51 about a breakthrough or partially missing piece of a puzzle, that is about Dr. Franklin.
It was a combination of Watson and Crick’s research combined with Franklin’s imaging and calculations that led to the discovery that was credited solely to Dr’s Watson and Crick.
Dr. Franklin died of ovarian cancer in 1958, four years later Watson and Crick won the Nobel Prize without crediting her.
Franklin's contributions were not fully recognized during her lifetime, but her work laid the foundation for our understanding of the molecular basis of genetics.
Jane Goodall
One of my personal hero’s, Dr. Jane Goodall is still alive, still working, and still changing the world.
Today we know Dr. Jane Goodall is a world-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian whose work has reshaped our understanding of animal behavior and our relationship with the natural world. Her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania revolutionized primatology, revealing the complexity of their social and familial bonds.
Dr. Goodall did the majority of her groundbreaking field observations in Tanzania not as a hired scientist, but as a secretary. As a child, she was observant, and patient and saw connections that others did not. She was analytical, inquisitive, and thorough with documentation. When she finished high school, affording traditional college to pursue science was not possible, so she went to secretarial school and worked until she could save enough money to visit Africa to see if what she read about in Tarzan was true.
She met paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey, who saw past her lack of formal education and training as a scientist, and hired her to be an on-site Secretary at the Gombe Game Reserve in Tanzania Africa. Goodall could not be hired as a scientist, but Dr. Leakey knew she was the right person to conduct the field research he needed. As a young woman, she was not allowed to be alone, so she brought her mother and a male chef who doubled as security to live in their remote research station.
Her field observations, and documentation combined with passion, empathy, and patience led to what Dr. Leakey suspected, chimpanzees are much more like humans than originally thought. While their work focused on primates, and specifically chimpanzees, this led to further discovery in family and social structure, language, and intelligence in animal behavior.
Dr. Goodall used her experience, documentation, and the research she conducted to earn her Ph.D. from Cambridge University in 1965. Her research was so profound that she earned a Ph.D. without any other college degrees, like a Bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Today the Jane Goodall Institute is connecting more people, more communities, and more knowledge to the land. They are working to bring together science and conservation, using activism and social change to advocate for policy and community movements that help protect and preserve natural spaces. While her focus will always revolve around Chimpanzees, her impact is global and touches every species.
With just four short examples, here are four more women’s names to know, when asked “Can you name three women in science?
women have always played a powerful role in science, contributing groundbreaking discoveries and advancements despite often facing barriers to recognition and representation. Despite challenges, women continue to push boundaries, innovate, and inspire future generations.
Let's commit to recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of women in STEM! Share their stories, support organizations that promote gender equality in science, and advocate for inclusive practices in academia and industry.
By raising awareness and acknowledging the contributions of women in STEM, we can inspire future generations of scientists and engineers. Together, let's strive for a more equitable and inclusive scientific community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and make a difference.
Katalin Kaziko won the Nobel prize in Medicine with Drew Weissman in 2023 for their work that laid the groundwork for mRNA vaccines that were effective against COVID19, She had a long standing belief that mRNA was a key to vaccine development and took lower level jobs with different research universities until her discoveries laid the foundation for mRNA vaccines,