Marie Maynard Daly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie Maynard Daly
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| Born | April 16, 1921 Corona, Queens, New York City
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| Died | October 28, 2003 (aged 82) |
| Other names | Marie Maynard Daly Clark |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater |
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| Spouse(s) | Vincent Clark |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry |
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| Thesis | A Study of the Products Formed by the Action of Pancreatic Amylase on Corn Starch (1947) |
| Doctoral advisor | Mary Letitia Caldwell |
Marie Maynard Daly (April 16, 1921 – October 28, 2003) was an amazing American scientist who studied biochemistry. She was the first African-American woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry. This was a huge achievement!
Marie Daly made big discoveries in four main areas:
- How proteins called histones work.
- How our bodies make proteins.
- How cholesterol and hypertension (high blood pressure) are connected.
- How muscles use something called creatine.
Contents
Education and Early Life
Marie Daly went to Hunter College High School, a special school for girls in New York City. There, she was encouraged to study chemistry. She then attended Queens College. She lived at home to save money.
In 1942, she graduated from Queens College with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She earned top honors, graduating "magna cum laude." This means she finished with great distinction. She was also named a Queens College Scholar, an honor for the best students.
Because of World War II, there was a need for scientists. This helped Marie Daly get scholarships to continue her studies. She went to New York University for her master's degree. She also worked as a lab assistant at Queens College. She finished her master's in chemistry in 1943.
Next, she went to Columbia University for her Ph.D. She studied how a certain enzyme (called pancreatic amylase) breaks down corn starch. In 1947, Marie Daly earned her Ph.D. in chemistry. She was the first African-American woman in the U.S. to achieve this.
Career and Discoveries
After earning her Ph.D., Marie Daly worked as a science instructor at Howard University. She also did research there. Later, she received a grant from the American Cancer Society. This allowed her to join a research group at the Rockefeller Institute.
At the Rockefeller Institute, she spent seven years studying how proteins are built in the body. At that time, scientists didn't fully understand the structure of DNA. Her work helped pave the way for future discoveries.
In 1955, Daly moved to Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. She started studying how arteries work with a colleague, Quentin B. Deming. They continued this research when they moved to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1960. Marie Daly also worked for the American Heart Association.
Marie Daly was promoted to associate professor in 1971. She also worked to help more minority students get into professional and graduate schools. She helped run a program to prepare black students for college admission.
In 1975, she attended a conference about the challenges faced by minority women in science. This led to a report with ideas for helping more minority women become scientists. Marie Daly was also a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. She was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Marie Daly retired in 1986. In 1988, she started a scholarship at Queens College. This scholarship helps African American students studying chemistry or physics. She created it in memory of her father. In 1999, she was named one of the top 50 women in Science, Engineering, and Technology.
Understanding Histones
Marie Daly was very interested in proteins found in the center of cells, called the nucleus. She found ways to separate cell materials without damaging them. This helped her study histones. Histones are proteins found in the cell nucleus.
She showed what these histone proteins were made of. Her work on histones is now considered very important. We now know that histones play a key role in how our genes work.
How Proteins and Nucleic Acids Work
Daly also developed ways to separate cell nuclei. She measured the parts of purines and pyrimidines in DNA. She found that DNA mostly contained four specific building blocks: adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine.
She also studied how proteins are made in the body. She used special tagged amino acids to watch how protein creation changed when mice were fed or fasted. This helped her see how different parts of the cell were involved in making proteins.
In 1953, scientists Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA. When Watson received the Nobel Prize for this work, he mentioned one of Daly's papers. Her research helped contribute to their understanding of DNA.
Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, and Heart Health
Marie Daly and her team did some of the first research connecting diet to heart health. They looked at how cholesterol, sugar, and other nutrients affected the body.
She was the first to show that hypertension (high blood pressure) can lead to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition where arteries become clogged. She also found a link between cholesterol and clogged arteries. This was a very important discovery for understanding how heart attacks happen.
She studied how high blood pressure affects the body's circulation. She found that eating a lot of cholesterol led to clogged arteries. High blood pressure made this problem worse. She also studied how aging might contribute to high blood pressure and clogged arteries. Daly was also one of the first to study how cigarette smoke affects the lungs and blood pressure.
Creatine and Muscle Cells
In the 1970s, Marie Daly began studying how muscle cells take in creatine. Creatine is important for how muscles get and use energy. Her research showed the best conditions for muscle tissues to absorb creatine.
Personal Life
Marie Daly's father, Ivan C. Daly, came from the British West Indies. He worked as a postal clerk. Her mother was Helen Page. Marie was born and grew up in Corona, Queens, New York City.
She often visited her grandparents in Washington, D.C. Her grandfather had a large library. There, she read about scientists and their achievements. A book called The Microbe Hunters especially inspired her to become a scientist.
Her father also influenced her interest in science. He had wanted to be a chemist but couldn't finish college because he didn't have enough money. Marie fulfilled his dream by majoring in chemistry. Years later, she created a scholarship in his honor at Queens College.
Marie Daly married Vincent Clark and took the name Marie Maynard Daly Clark. Her husband passed away before her. They did not have any children. She died on October 28, 2003.
Legacy
Marie Maynard Daly left a lasting impact.
- In 2016, an elementary school in Queens, New York, was named "The Dr. Marie M. Daly Academy of Excellence" in her honor.
- The Albert Einstein College of Medicine also created an annual event called The Marie M. Daly Memorial Celebration. This event highlights the contributions of minority scientists. Guest speakers are invited each year to give a lecture.
See also
In Spanish: Marie Maynard Daly para niños
