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Allene Jeanes

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Allene Jeanes
Black and white image of a woman with white hair wearing a black coat and white scarf tied in a bow.
Born
Allene Rosalind Jeanes

(1906-07-19)July 19, 1906
Waco, Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 11, 1995(1995-12-11) (aged 89)
Urbana, Illinois, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
OccupationChemist
Known forDeveloping Dextran

Allene Rosalind Jeanes (July 19, 1906 – December 11, 1995) was an American chemist whose pioneering work significantly impacted carbohydrate chemistry. Born in 1906 in Texas, Jeanes' notable contributions include the development of Dextran, a lifesaving blood plasma substitute used in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and Xanthan gum, a polysaccharide commonly used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Jeanes' innovations have had a lasting influence on medical treatments and everyday consumer products, highlighting her role as a key figure in applied carbohydrate science.[1] Her achievements earned her numerous accolades, including being the first woman to receive the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Early life and education

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Jeanes was born July 19, 1906, in Waco, Texas, to Viola (Herring) and Largus Elonzo Jeanes, a switchman and later a yardmaster for the Cotton Belt Route of the St. Louis Southwestern Railway. Allene graduated with honors from Waco High School in 1924.[2] In 1928, she received a bachelor's degree from Baylor University and graduated summa cum laude; in 1929, Jeanes obtained a master's degree in organic chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.[3][4] She was Jewish.

From 1930 to 1935, Jeanes was employed as the head science teacher at Athens College in Athens, Alabama. From 1936 to 1937, she held a position as chemistry instructor at the University of Illinois.[3] She received her PhD in organic chemistry from University of Illinois in 1938,[5] after working with Roger Adams.[6]

Career

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In 1938, Dr. Jeanes decided to accept a position at the National Institutes of Health in Washington D.C. And, from 1938 to 1940, Jeanes served as a corn industries research foundation fellow for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with Claude Hudson and worked at the National Bureau of Standards with Horace S. Isbell.[7]: 105 In 1941 she joined Roy L. Whistler[7]: 105  at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Northern Regional Research Lab (NRRL) in Peoria, Illinois, as a chemical researcher. She worked there until 1976.[4] Jeanes is credited with "a prominent role in making NRRL a world-class center for applied carbohydrate science".[7]: 105 

Jeanes' area of research was natural polysaccharides, including starch (found in wheat, corn, rice, and potatoes), cellulose (found in cotton, wood, and paper), and dextran. Jeanes was able to isolate dextran-producing bacteria from samples of bacteria-contaminated root beer supplied by a local Peoria company.[4] This discovery was the basis for development of a mass production process for dextran, and its use in a dextran-based blood plasma extender. This plasma substitute was used by medical personal in the Korean and Vietnam wars. It was believed that using this sort of substance would keep someone who had lost a great deal of blood alive longer.[8] So, the United States began using dextran to treat injured soldiers. As a result of her work, Jeanes was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Service Award given by the Department of Agriculture, in 1953.[9] She was also awarded the Garvan Medal in 1956.[5]

Jeanes was also part of the team that developed xanthan gum. Xanthan gum, derived from Xanthomonas campestris bacteria, completely revolutionized food processing due to its unique thickening and stabilizing properties.[10] It's extensively used in products such as salad dressings, sauces, and baked goods to maintain texture and consistency. In the cosmetics industry, xanthan gum improves the texture of creams and lotions, making them more appealing to consumers.

In medicine, xanthan gum plays a role in creating more appetizing and stable pharmaceutical products. It's also essential in gluten-free baking, providing a substitute that mimics the texture and properties of gluten, greatly benefiting those with gluten intolerances or celiac disease.[10]

Moreover, xanthan gum has applications beyond these industries. It is used in the oil and gas sector for drilling operations, demonstrating the versatility of Jeanes' innovation. The environmental friendliness of xanthan gum, as it is a biodegradable and non-toxic substance, aligns perfectly with current sustainable and environmentally friendly trends, making it a preferred ingredient in various sectors.[10]

Overall, Jeanes' work in this development has had a far-reaching impact, contributing significantly to advancements in food science, cosmetics, medicine, and even energy, thereby enhancing various aspects of everyday life. Her innovation and contributions are still in use today in many ways.

In her last published paper, "Immunological and Related Interactions with Dextrans Reviewed in Terms of Improved Structural Information," which was published in 1986, Jeanes shows her dedication to her work.[2]

Over the course of her entire career, Allene Jeanes was awarded ten patents and produced sixty publications.[8] These were all related to her work and discoveries. She was ultimately honored with a plethora of awards.

She was a member of the American Chemical Society, Sigma Xi, and Iota Sigma Pi.[11]

Later life

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Jeanes died on December 11, 1995 in Urbana, Illinois.[12] She was 89 years old.[8]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "How Allene Jeanes Saved Lives and Revolutionized the Food Industry | National Inventors Hall of Fame®". www.invent.org. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  2. ^ a b Advances in Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biochemistry. Academic Press. 1998-08-19. ISBN 978-0-08-056312-1.
  3. ^ a b c d "Allene R. Jeanes Papers, MS 335, Archives of Women in Science and Engineering, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library". Special Collections and University Archives. Iowa State University. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  4. ^ a b c "Allene Rosalind Jeanes". Chemical Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on July 12, 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  5. ^ a b Ogilvie, Marilyn; Harvey, Joy (2000). The biographical dictionary of women in science. New York: Routledge. p. 654. ISBN 0-415-92038-8.
  6. ^ Rothenberg, Marc (2000). "Adams, Roger (1889-1971)". The history of science in the United States : an encyclopedia (Online ed.). New York: Garland. p. 8. ISBN 0-8153-0762-4. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d Gregory L. Côté, Victoria L. Finkenstadt: A History of Carbohydrate Research at the USDA Laboratory in Peoria, Illinois. In: Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. Vol. 33, Nr. 2, 2008, S. 103–111.
  8. ^ a b c "Allene Jeanes | Lemelson". lemelson.mit.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  9. ^ a b c d "Allene Rosalind Jeanes". Human Touch of Chemistry. Archived from the original on 2014-05-14. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  10. ^ a b c "What is xanthan gum?". BBC Good Food. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  11. ^ "Women Who Made a Difference". Iowa State University. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  12. ^ Weeter, Logan (March 7, 2017). "LAS alumna to be inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame". University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  13. ^ Tiffany K. Wayne: American Women of Science Since 1900 (Vol.1: Essays A-H). ABC-Clio, 2011, S. 549 f.
  14. ^ "National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  15. ^ "What is Xanthan Gum Made From? Learn From Inventor and NIHF Inductee Allene Jeanes". www.invent.org. Retrieved 2021-10-26.

Further reading

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