Nadezhda Ziber-Shumova facts for kids

Nadezhda Olimpievna Shumova (Russian: Надежда Олимпиевна Зибер-Шумова; 7 May [19 May] 1856 - 11 May 1916) was a very important Russian scientist. She became the first woman professor of biochemistry in Russia. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes that happen inside living things. Nadezhda helped this science grow and become well-known.

Her Life Story

Nadezhda was born on May 7, 1856, in a city called Rostov. Her parents were Olimpiy Alekseevich Shumov and Alexandra Mikhailovna Shumova. She was the youngest of eight children in her family. Later, her family moved to St. Petersburg, where she grew up.

After finishing the Mariinskaya Women's Gymnasium, she wanted to study medicine. She joined the Vladimir Higher Women's Courses. There, she learned from famous professors like Dmitri Mendeleev and Alexander Butlerov. Under Professor Butlerov, she learned about chemical analysis. This means she learned how to figure out what chemicals are in something and how much of each. She passed her exams in inorganic and organic chemistry.

Nadezhda really wanted to get a higher medical degree. But at that time, women in Russia could not study medicine at a university. So, she traveled to Europe to continue her education. First, she studied physics and chemistry at Heidelberg University in Germany. Then, she moved to Paris, France. In Paris, women were allowed to study science and medicine. She attended lectures on anatomy and practiced medicine at the Collège de France. A few years later, her sister, Ekaterina, joined her and also studied medicine.

In 1874, Nadezhda returned to Russia. She married Nikolai Ziber, who taught economics at St. Vladimir University in Kyiv. He was one of the first people in Russia to support the ideas of Marxism. In 1875, Nadezhda and Nikolai moved to Switzerland. There, Nadezhda continued her medical studies at the University of Bern. She even published some scientific papers while she was still a student. In 1877, she joined a research group led by Marceli Nencki. In 1880, she earned her Doctor of Medicine degree. Her main project was about understanding yeasts.

After graduating, Nadezhda worked in Nencki's lab for four years. In 1884, she became an assistant in physiological chemistry at the University of Bern. She was the first woman at this university to get a full-time research job. While working with Nencki, Ziber-Shumova wrote 30 scientific papers. These papers were about chemistry and biochemistry.

One of their most important projects was about hemin. Hemin is a protein found in blood. They studied how hemin breaks down into smaller parts. This was one of the first studies on this topic. They also created a "biochemical test." This test helped them see how well an animal's body was using oxygen. They used it to study diseases like leukemia and diabetes. They found that in leukemia, the body's ability to use oxygen dropped a lot.

Nadezhda and Marceli also found a way to detect urobilin in urine. Urobilin is a substance found in urine. Their method is still called the "Nencki-Ziber test." They also found a way to make new chemical compounds called oxyketones.

In 1888, Nadezhda's husband, Nikolai Ziber, passed away. After this, Nadezhda focused all her time on science. She worked at the University of Bern until 1891. In 1890, she and Nencki were invited to work at a new department in Russia. This was the Department of Chemistry at the Imperial Institute of Experimental Medicine. Nadezhda visited St. Petersburg in 1890 to discuss this new job.

In the summer of 1891, they accepted the invitation. Marceli Nencki and his team moved to St. Petersburg. Nadezhda, now 35, returned to Russia after 16 years. She had a great European education and lots of research experience. She was an expert in physiological chemistry, which we now call biochemistry. On September 13, 1891, she became the assistant head of the Department of Chemistry.

In 1892, Nadezhda and Marceli Nencki helped design a new laboratory building. They made sure it had the most modern equipment. This new center was better than many similar labs in Europe at the time. Together with their team, they started important research in physiological chemistry. They wanted to connect medicine and biology.

In the 1890s, Russia faced many epidemics (widespread diseases). Nadezhda and Nencki helped fight these diseases. In 1892, they researched the cholera epidemic. They also looked for simple antiseptics, like pine resin. In 1895, Nadezhda received a bonus for her work on a diphtheria vaccine. Later, in 1895 and 1898, she went on trips to the Caucasus region. Her goal was to fight rinderpest, a serious disease in cattle.

After Nencki died in 1901, Ziber-Shumova took over as the temporary head of the Department of Chemistry. On December 1, 1909, she became the permanent head of the department.

In 1906, she helped start a girls' school in a village called Zorka. She did this with Professor Nikolay Simanovsky. The school was built to honor her sister, Ekaterina Shumova-Simanovskaya. Nadezhda also gave scholarships to students, including girls from farming families and noble families. She also set up a hospital with a lab in the same village.

In 1912, Nadezhda made history again. She became the first woman to be a full member of the Imperial Institute of Experimental Medicine. This was special because the institute usually did not give this title to women. She was also given the title of professor for her amazing scientific work. This made her the first female professor of biochemistry and an official research leader.

When World War I started, Nadezhda helped organize a hospital for wounded soldiers.

In 1915, Nadezhda became very sick with a blood disease. She passed away on May 11, 1916. She was buried in the Tikhvin Cemetery in St. Petersburg.

Her Scientific Impact

Nadezhda Olimpievna Ziber-Shumova's work, including her collaborations with Nencki, covered many important topics. They studied the chemical makeup of animal tissues and blood. They also looked at enzymes, how things ferment and decay, and the chemistry of bacteria. Their research also included toxins and antitoxins, and how microorganisms cause disease.

Many of her articles written before 1901 were put into a book after Nencki died. Nadezhda herself helped prepare and publish this collection. Other works were published in scientific journals.

Besides her own research, Ziber-Shumova did a lot to help science grow. She used money she inherited from her uncle to support new scientists. In 1907, she created the Nencki Prize. This prize was given every year to the best young researcher in the Department of Chemistry. This was the first grant in Russian science to support young scientists. In 1909, she gave 50,000 rubles to a Polish society. This money helped them start a research center named after Marceli Nencki. She also left part of her personal library to this future institute.

Because of her many achievements and scientific papers, Nadezhda Olimpievna Ziber-Shumova is a very important person in the history of Russian science. Her biography was even published in a famous encyclopedia during her lifetime. This shows how much her work was valued.

See also

In Spanish: Nadezhda Ziber-Shumova para niños

• Timeline of women in science
• Julia Lermontova
• Anna Volkova