Rachel Fuller Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rachel Fuller Brown
Elizabeth Lee Hazen and Brown (right)
Born	(1898-11-23)23 November 1898 Springfield, Massachusetts
Died	14 January 1980(1980-01-14) (aged 81) Albany, New York
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	University of Chicago
Known for	Co-discovery of antifungal agent nystatin with Elizabeth Lee Hazen
Awards	Quibb Award in Chemotherapy (1955) Rhoda Benham Award of the Medical Mycological Society of the Americas (1972) American Institute of Chemists’ Chemical Pioneer Award (1975) National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductee (1994)
Scientific career
Fields	Organic chemistry bacteriology

Rachel Fuller Brown (born November 23, 1898 – died January 14, 1980) was a talented chemist. She is famous for working with another scientist, Elizabeth Lee Hazen. Together, they discovered the first helpful medicine to fight fungal infections. This medicine is called nystatin.

Rachel Brown earned her first degree (B.A.) from Mount Holyoke College. Later, she received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. In 1994, she was honored by being added to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Nystatin is still used today to treat many serious fungal infections. It has also been used to help trees with Dutch Elm disease. Plus, it can restore old artwork damaged by water and mold.

Early Life and Education

Rachel Fuller Brown was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on November 23, 1898. When she was 14, Rachel's mother wanted her to have a more traditional education. So, Rachel switched from Commercial High School to Central High School.

A friend of Rachel's grandmother, Henriette F. Dexter, saw how much Rachel wanted to go to college. Henriette paid for Rachel to attend Mount Holyoke College. Rachel studied chemistry and earned her B.A. degree in chemistry and history in 1920.

Later, she earned a master's degree (M.S.) in organic chemistry from the University of Chicago. After taking some classes at Harvard, Rachel returned to the University of Chicago for more studies. She submitted her Ph.D. paper, but had to leave Chicago before getting her degree.

Rachel found a job at the Division of Laboratories and Research in New York. This place was known for making vaccines and antiserums. Brown worked there for seven years. Then, she went back to Chicago to finally receive her Ph.D.

Discovering Nystatin

In 1948, Rachel Brown started an important project with Elizabeth Lee Hazen. Elizabeth was studying fungi and bacteria. This project led them to discover a new antibiotic that could fight fungal infections.

In the 1930s, antibiotics became popular for fighting harmful bacteria. However, a side effect was that these strong medicines sometimes caused fungi to grow. This happened because antibiotics killed all bacteria, even the good ones. Without good bacteria, fungi could grow out of control.

These fungi could cause problems like sore mouths or stomach pain. Other types of fungi could attack the nervous system or cause skin conditions like ringworm and athlete's foot. At that time, there were no good medicines to fight these fungal diseases.

A Team Effort

Elizabeth Hazen grew different organisms found in soil. She tested them to see if they could fight fungi. If an organism showed good activity, she would send it to Rachel Brown in a jar.

Rachel would then work to find the active part of the culture. This active part could be used to cure fungal diseases. They tested hundreds of soil samples. Many were too harmful for animals and not safe for humans.

Finally, they found a culture that seemed promising for animals. They discovered this tiny organism made two substances that fought fungi. One was too toxic, but the other looked very hopeful.

They developed this new drug and named it Nystatin. Nystatin was the first antifungal antibiotic that was safe for humans. It could also be mixed with antibacterial drugs to help prevent side effects.

Nystatin was also very useful in Italy. It helped stop fungi from growing on valuable works of art that had been damaged by floods. In 1950, Brown and Hazen presented their discovery. By 1954, Nystatin was available for people to use.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1951, Rachel Brown was promoted to associate biochemist at the Department of Health and Laboratories. Brown and Hazen kept working together. They discovered two more antibiotics called phalmycin and capacidin. They continued to make small but important contributions to the study of bacteria until they retired.

Rachel Brown passed away on January 14, 1980, in Albany, New York. She was 81 years old.

Awards and Recognition

The money earned from Nystatin totaled $13.4 million. Rachel Brown and Elizabeth Hazen did not want any of this money for themselves. Instead, they gave it to the Research Corporation, a group that supports science.

Half of the money was used for grants to help other scientists with their research. The other half supported what became known as the Brown-Hazen Fund.

Both Brown and Hazen received many awards for their teamwork. Their first big award was the Squibb Award in Chemotherapy in 1955. Rachel Brown was also chosen as a fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences in 1957.

When Brown retired in 1968, she received the Distinguished Service Award from the New York Department of Health. In 1972, she was given the Rhoda Benham Award. In 1975, Brown and Hazen were the first women to receive the Chemical Pioneer Award from the American Institute of Chemists.

Rachel Brown was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1994.

Helping Others

Rachel Brown was a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Albany. There, she met Dorothy Wakerley, who became her lifelong friend. They shared a home and cared for their extended family, including Brown's grandmother, mother, and various nieces and nephews. Brown also invited visiting women scientists from China to stay with them.

Even after retiring, Rachel stayed active in her community. She became the first female administrative member of her church. She also taught Sunday school for many years.

The Brown-Hazen Fund

From 1957 to 1978, the Brown-Hazen Fund helped train and support research in medical sciences. It also encouraged women to choose careers in science. For several years, this fund was the largest source of private money for medical mycology (the study of fungi in medicine) in the United States.

For over 50 years, Rachel Brown was also an active member of the American Association of University Women. She strongly supported women's involvement in science.

By the time she died, Rachel Brown had not only repaid Henriette Dexter, who helped her go to college. More importantly, the money she earned from Nystatin allowed her to create new funds for scientific research and scholarships. This gave other scientists the same chances she had.

In a statement published the month she died, Rachel Brown shared her hope for the future. She wished for "equal opportunities and accomplishments for all scientists regardless of sex."

See also

In Spanish: Rachel Fuller Brown para niños