Wonder Woman of the Week: Barbara McClintlock

I often chose to write about women in fields where either colleagues or historians fail to recognize their accomplishments. Many powerful women from across the history of humankind have been forgotten because their names were either replaced with men’s or simply were not recorded at all. This week’s Wonder Woman is a woman who’s accomplishments have been marginalized over the years and were overshadowed by the less impressive achievements of her male colleagues. The spotlight’s work however was detrimental to understanding the DNA sequencing of the human genome and her work helped pave the way for an immeasurable number of discoveries in biology and forensics. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Barbara McClintlock.

Barbara McClintlock was born in Hartford, CT in 1902. Her parents considered their young daughter so feminine that they could not believe she was even their daughter. But young Barbara was on track for breaking serious boundaries in the field of biology, probably because her constant desire to act up got her in a lot of trouble with her parents. It was so bad that young Barbara often lived with her aunt and uncle in Massachusetts. The young girl performed greatly in the academic setting however, earning praise from her teachers throughout school- but that did not stop Barbara’s mother from refusing to let her go to college. [1]

Against the wishes of her mother, Barbara McClintlock enrolled at Cornell University in 1918. McClintlock excelled at Cornell and by the time she graduated with her bachelor’s degree, she was already enrolling in graduate school. While a grad student, McClintlock worked on improving a system of identifying corn chromosomes which had long baffled and confused her professors in the department. After graduating with her PhD. in 1927, McClintlock set out to map out the corn chromosome linkage groups and in doing so established a new theory on the make up of genetic sequences known as “one gene, one enzyme.” McClintlock later worked on projects investigating the effects of X-Rays on chromosomes (including genetic mutations), became a professor at the University of Missouri, and discovered the process of transposition in corn chromosomes- the latter of which earned her a Nobel Prize in 1983. [2]

While her work may seem insignificant, Barbara McClintlock’s discoveries regarding corn chromosomes paved the way for understanding the effects of radiation on the genetic code. Her work on the transposition of chromosomes earned her a Nobel Prize. What Barbara McClintlock’s story teaches young girls though is that even if they act out (a lot) it probably means they are headed for greatness. Her biography also shows a flaw in science in which women are often forgotten for their accomplishments in their respective fields. So for the sake of future female scientists, read more about Barbara McClintlock and women like her.

“Barbara McClintlock.” Famous Scientists. np; 2016. Web. 14 September 2016.

“Barbara McClintlock (1902-1992).” DNA From The Beginning. DNA Learning Center; 2011. Web. 14 September 2016.