Mary Belle Allen Explained

Mary Belle Allen
Birth Date:November 11, 1922
Birth Place:Morristown, New Jersey
Death Place:Fairbanks, Alaska[1]
Field:Botany, chemistry, biochemical microbiology
Work Institutions:Hopkins Marine Station, University of California, Berkeley, Kaiser Permanente, University of Alaska
Alma Mater:University of California, Columbia University
Awards:Nominated (unsuccessfully) for the Nobel Prize, 1967;
Darbaker Prize, 1962
Author Abbrev Bot:M.B.Allen

Mary Belle Allen (November 11, 1922, Morristown, New Jersey –1973, Fairbanks, Alaska) was an American botanist, chemist, mycologist, algologist, and plant pathologist, and a pioneer of biochemical microbiology. With Daniel I. Arnon and F. Robert Whatley, she did breakthrough research discovering and demonstrating the role of chloroplasts in photosynthesis.[2] [3] In 1962 she received the Darbaker Prize from the Botanical Society of America for her work on microbial algae. In 1967 she was nominated jointly (but unsuccessfully) with Arnon and Whatley for a Nobel Prize.

The abbreviation M.B.Allen is used to indicate Mary Belle Allen as the author of the description and scientific classification of genera and species. (Consult IPNI).[4] [5]

Career

Mary Belle Allen was a daughter of Frederick Madison Allen and Belle W. Allen. She had a sister, Dorothy Llewellyn Allen (later Flynn).[6]

Bachelor's degree

Allen earned her bachelor's degree with honors in 1941 from the college of chemistry at the University of California in Berkeley, California.[7] [8] [9] She was 19.[2]

Ph.D. degree

Allen was accepted as a Ph.D. student of the University of California by Sam Ruben in Berkeley.[10] [11] Allen is listed as an assistant at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory at the University of California in Berkeley for 1941-42[7] [12] and as a chemist for the Manhattan District for 1942-44.[7] While working with Ruben, she used radioactive tracers to study photosynthesis and chlorophyll.[2] [13]

Following Sam Ruben's death in 1943, Allen transferred to Columbia University. Allen received a DuPont fellowship for 1945-1946[7] and completed her Ph.D. in physical chemistry at Columbia University in 1946,[7] [14] with a thesis on Phosphorus in Starch.[15]

Postdoctoral work

For 1946-1947, Allen received a National Research Council fellowship in chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis.[7] [16] [17] [18] [14] She also spent a year at the Marine Biological Laboratory at the University of Chicago as a visiting fellow with James Franck and Hans Gaffron, possibly around 1951.[19]

In 1947, she became a research associate at Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York.[16] [7] [14] The first part of this appointment occurred at Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, California.[16] where "Dr. Mary Belle Allen" was listed as a "visiting Investigator" from Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York. Initial funding for the project came from biochemist Harry Sobotka at Mt. Sinai Hospital, who had received a grant from the U.S. Public Health Service.[20] She was able to continue the work through Stanford with funding from the Office of Naval Research.[20]

At Hopkins Marine Station Allen worked with C. B. van Niel on the physiology and biochemistry of thermophiles, bacteria that can survive at high temperatures.[21] [20] In 1952, she reported that she had isolated an "unidentified unicellular alga" from the acid waters of "Lemonade Spring", The Geysers, Sonoma County, California. Later work suggested that it was similar to forms of Cyanidium caldarium independently discovered by Hiroyuki Hirose (1950), Felix Eugen Fritsch (1945),[22] and Kenichiro Negoro (1935).[23] Allen was also able to study blue-green algae, publishing a "fundamental paper" on their cultivation in 1952.[2] [24] [25]

University of California, Berkeley

In the mid 1950s, Allen worked at the University of California, Berkeley with Daniel I. Arnon and F. Robert Whatley in breakthrough research on the role of chloroplasts in photosynthesis processes.[26] Arnon et al. were the first to publish a demonstration of the synthesis of ATP in light by chloroplasts in 1954, followed by a more detailed paper by Allen et al. in 1955.[27] [28] [29] [30] [31]

A visiting student describes the type of procedure that was followed:[32]

Allen investigated nitrogen fixing of blue green algae and other microorganisms in both freshwater and oceans. She studied the growth of algae alongside rice as a way of enhancing the fertility of rice.[33] As of 1956, she reported on the photosynthetic products of Chlamydomonas.[34] In January 1957 she was listed by the Phycological Society of America as studying plankton as an assistant research biochemist and lecturer in physiology in the Department of Soils and Plant Nutrition, University of California, Berkeley.[35]

In 1967 Allen was nominated jointly for a Nobel Prize with D.I.Arnon and Frederick Whatley. The nomination was put forward by J.H.Northrop but was not successful.[36]

Kaiser Foundation Research Institute

In 1958, the Kaiser Foundation Research Institute (Kaiser Permanente) formally established a Laboratory of Comparative Physiology and Morphology in Richmond, California, for fundamental research in comparative biology. Ellsworth C. Dougherty was named the director, and Mary Belle Allen was named the associate director.[37] [38] Using spectrophotometry and other techniques, she continued to examine chlorophyll absorption[39] and to study algal phylogenesis.[2]

In 1960 she edited the published proceedings of the First Annual Symposium on Comparative Biology of the Kaiser Permanente Research Institute in Richmond.[40] [2] Allen received funding from a number of sources including the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.[2] In 1962 she received the Darbaker Prize from the Botanical Society of America "for outstanding contributions to phycology".[41] [42]

University of Alaska

In 1966 Allen was recruited as professor of microbiology at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska. There she worked with the Institute of Marine Science[43] She studied high-latitude phytoplankton[44] and chrysophyceae.[2] [45] To better understand populations of aquatic microorganisms in lakes in interior Alaska, she studied bacteria in soil, which can wash into lakes. This research led to an unexpected result. She found that in many soil samples there were very few bacterial cells; some were comparable to sterilized soil.[46]

Memberships

Publications

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Scientist Mary Belle Allen found dead at her residence . 13 October 2021 . Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Fairbanks, Alaska . 27 October 1973.
  2. Provasoli . L. . Hutner . S. H. . Mary Belle Allen 1922–1973 . Phycologia . September 1974 . 13 . 3 . 269 . 10.2216/i0031-8884-13-3-269.1 . 12 October 2021.
  3. Web site: Index of Botanists: Allen, Mary Belle . Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries . 12 October 2021.
  4. Book: Brummitt . R. K. . Powell . C. E. . Authors of plant names : a list of authors of scientific names of plants, with recommended standard forms of their names, including abbreviations . 1992 . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . [London] . 978-0-947643-44-7 . 24.
  5. Book: Robert . Zander . Fritz . Encke . Günther . Buchheim . Siegmund . Seybold . Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen . 1984 . Ulmer Verlag . Stuttgart . 9783800150427 . 13 .
  6. News: Dorothy Llewellyn Allen Flynn 1924 - 2018 . Daily Democrat . May 4, 2018 . 14 October 2021.
  7. Book: Cattell. Jaques . https://books.google.com/books?id=Ea9CC4lCicQC&pg=PA33 . American Men of Science: A Biographical Directory . Allen, Dr. Mary Belle . 1949. The Science Press . Lancaster, Pennsylvania . 838 . en.
  8. Book: University of California Register, 1940-41. II . 1941 . University of California Press . Berkeley, CA . 90 . 13 October 2021.
  9. Book: Blue and Gold Yearbook . Class of 1941 . 1941 . University of California Berkeley . Berkeley, CA . 70.
  10. Benson . A. A. . Paving the Path . Annual Review of Plant Biology . June 2002 . 53 . 1 . 1–25 . 10.1146/annurev.arplant.53.091201.142547 . 12221968 . 5780582 . free .
  11. Book: Kaplan . Nathan . Robinson . Arthur . Benson . A. A. . From Cyclotrons To Cytochromes: Essays in Molecular Biology and Chemistry . Tracers in biology . December 2, 2012 . Academic Press . New York, London . 60 . 9780323142052 . https://books.google.com/books?id=Ee7km_5AFDsC&pg=PA60 . 13 October 2021.
  12. Web site: Lawrence Radiation Laboratory Manhattan Engineering District records, Undated . American Institute of Physics . 13 October 2021.
  13. Norris . T. H. . Ruben . S. . Allen . M. B. . Tracer Studies with Radioactive Hydrogen. Some Experiments on Photosynthesis and Chlorophyll . Journal of the American Chemical Society . December 1942 . 64 . 12 . 3037–3040 . 10.1021/ja01264a087.
  14. Book: Kamen . Martin David . Radiant Science, Dark Politics: A Memoir of the Nuclear Age . 1 January 1985 . University of California Press . Berkeley and Los Angeles . 978-0-520-04929-1 . 143, 201, 267 . 13 October 2021 . en.
  15. Book: Allen . Mary Belle . Phosphorus in Starch: Nature and reactions of starch phosphate. Enzymatic phosphorylation of starch and synthesis of amylopectin . 1946 . Columbia University . New York.
  16. News-Makers . Chemical & Engineering News Archive . 17 November 1947 . 25 . 46 . 3440–3443 . 10.1021/cen-v025n046.p3440 . 14 October 2021.
  17. News and Notes . Science . 1946 . 104 . 2688 . 10–16. American Association for the Advancement of Science . 10.1126/science.104.2688.10 . 1675930 . 1946Sci...104...10. . 14 October 2021.
  18. Web site: History of the Marine Biological Laboratory . Washington University . 13 October 2021.
  19. Rosenberg . Jerome L. . The contributions of James Franck to photosynthesis research: a tribute . Photosynthesis Research . 2004 . 80 . 1–3 . 71–76 . 10.1023/B:PRES.0000030453.66865.f6 . 16328811 . 10.1.1.421.1992 . 16805249 .
  20. Allen . Mary Belle . The thermophilic aerobic sporeforming bacteria . Bacteriological Reviews . 1 June 1953 . 17 . 2 . 125–173 . 10.1128/br.17.2.125-173.1953 . 13058821 . 180763 .
  21. Web site: Stanford University Bulletin Annual Report of the President of Stanford University for the fifty-sixth academic Year, ending August 31, 1948 . August 31, 1948 . Stanford University . 12 October 2021.
  22. Book: Brock . Thomas D. . Thermophilic microorganisms and life at high temperatures . 1978 . Springer-Verlag . New York . 9780387903095 . 271 . 19 October 2021.
  23. Book: Fukuda, Ikujiro . Seckbach . Joseph . Evolutionary pathways and enigmatic algae : Cyanidium caldarium (Rhodophyta) and related cells. Chapter 10: Cyanidium investigations in Japan . 1994 . Kluwer Academic Publishers . Dordrecht . 978-0-7923-2635-9 . 153–156 . https://books.google.com/books?id=rgPsCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA153 . 19 October 2021.
  24. Schlichting . Harold E. . Survival of Some Fresh-Water Algae under Extreme Environmental Conditions . Transactions of the American Microscopical Society . 1974 . 93 . 4 . 610–613 . 10.2307/3225162 . 3225162 . 4614531 . 0003-0023.
  25. Allen . M. B. . The cultivation of myxophyceae . Archiv für Mikrobiologie . 1 January 1952 . 17 . 1 . 34–53 . 10.1007/BF00410816 . 20787061 . en . 1432-072X.
  26. Tribute to Daniel Arnon: 50th anniversary of key photosynthesis discoveries . 19, 26 . 13 October 2021 . Breakthroughs. 10. 1 . College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley . 2004.
  27. Book: Govindjee . Beatty . J. Thomas . Gest . Howard . Allen . John F. . Discoveries in Photosynthesis . Springer . The Netherlands . July 15, 2006 . Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration . 20 . 978-1-4020-3323-0 . 77 .
  28. Book: Nickelsen . Kärin . Explaining Photosynthesis: Models of Biochemical Mechanisms, 1840-1960 . June 17, 2015 . Springer . Heidelberg, New York, London . 263–266 . 9789401795821 . 12 October 2021.
  29. Arnon . Daniel I. . Whatley . F. R. . Allen . M. B. . Photosynthesis by Isolated Chloroplasts. II. Photosynthetic Phosphorylation, the Conversion of Light into Phosphate Bond Energy . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 1 December 1954 . 76 . 24 . 6324–6329 . 10.1021/ja01653a025 . 12 October 2021 . 0002-7863.
  30. Allen . M. B. . Arnon . Daniel I. . Capindale . J. B. . Whatley . F. R. . Durham . Lois J. . Photosynthesis by Isolated Chloroplasts. III. Evidence for Complete Photosynthesis1 . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 1 August 1955 . 77 . 15 . 4149–4155 . 10.1021/ja01620a052 . 12 October 2021 . 0002-7863.
  31. Allen . M. B. . Whatley . F. R. . Arnon . Daniel I. . Photosynthesis by isolated chloroplasts: VI. Rates of conversion of light into chemical energy in photosynthetic phosphorylation . Biochimica et Biophysica Acta . 1 January 1958 . 27 . 1 . 16–23 . 10.1016/0006-3002(58)90288-9 . 13510247 . 12 October 2021 . en . 0006-3002.
  32. Web site: Moses . Vivian . Moses . Sheila . THE CALVIN LAB: BIO-ORGANIC CHEMISTRY GROUP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, 1945-1963 Volume II Interviews conducted by Vivian and Sheila Moses December 1995 - September 1997 . Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library University of California Berkeley, California . The Regents of the University of California . 13 October 2021.
  33. Benveniste . Guy . Kastens . Merritt L. . World Symposium on Applied Solar Energy . Science . 1956 . 123 . 3202 . 826–831 . 10.1126/science.123.3202.826 . 1750208 . 17821650 . 1956Sci...123..826B . 14 October 2021 . 0036-8075.
  34. Allen . Mary Belle . Excretion of organic compounds by Chlamydomonas . Archiv für Mikrobiologie . 1 June 1956 . 24 . 2 . 163–168 . 10.1007/BF00408630 . 13327993 . 39803097 . en . 1432-072X.
  35. Members as of January 1, 1957 . The Phycological Society of America News Bulletin . 1957 . X . 29 . 1 . 13 October 2021.
  36. Web site: Nomination Archive – M B Allen. NobelPrize.org. April 2020 . 11 November 2020.
  37. Scientists in the News . Science . 1958 . 127 . 3299 . 638–639 . 1755789 . 1958Sci...127..638. . 14 October 2021 . 0036-8075.
  38. Web site: Marking half a century of stellar research . Kaiser Permanente . August 13, 2012 . 12 October 2021.
  39. Book: Giese . Arthur C. . Photophysiology: General Principles; Action of Light on Plants . 1964 . Academic Press . New York . 85–109 . 9781483262277 . 13 October 2021.
  40. Goldsmith . T. H. . Review of Comparative Biochemistry of Photoreactive Systems. Symposia on Comparative Biology. Volume 1., by M. B. Allen . The Quarterly Review of Biology . 1963 . 38 . 1 . 106 . 10.1086/403788 . 2816278 . 12 October 2021.
  41. Web site: Darbaker Prize . Botanical Society of America . 13 October 2021.
  42. AIBS Reports . AIBS Bulletin . 1962 . 12 . 6 . 36 . 10.1093/aibsbulletin/12.6.36 . 1292943 . 14 October 2021 . 0096-7645.
  43. News: Faculty Appointees . 12 October 2021 . Summer News. II . 11. 3 . University of Alaska . August 25, 1966.
  44. Allen . Mary Belle . High-Latitude Phytoplankton . Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics . 1 November 1971 . 2 . 1 . 261–276 . 10.1146/annurev.es.02.110171.001401 . 0066-4162.
  45. Allen . Mary Belle . Structure, physiology, and biochemistry of the chrysophyceae . Annual Review of Microbiology . 1 October 1969 . 23 . 1 . 29–46 . 10.1146/annurev.mi.23.100169.000333 . 4899076 . 19 October 2021 . 0066-4227.
  46. Web site: Helfferich . Carla . Some Straight Skinny on Soil . December 4, 1991 . Alaska Science Forum . 12 October 2021.

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