Caroline Pellew
Caroline Pellew | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1882 Brighton, Sussex, England |
| Died | 1963 (aged 80–81) Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England |
| Education | John Innes Centre, University College Reading (now University of Reading) |
| Known for | Cytological Studies on the Relations Between Asiatic and European Varieties of Pisum Sativum |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Genetics |
| Academic advisors | Frederick Keeble, William Bateson |
Caroline Pellew (born 1882) was a British geneticist who made significant contributions to knowledge of the laws of inheritance in various organisms including peas.
Education
[edit]Pellew was awarded the first minor studentship at the John Innes Centre in 1910. She was a Horticultural Associate of University College Reading and completed a two-year diploma course in horticulture. While at Reading she worked with the botany professor, Frederick Keeble, to investigate the genetics in the chemistry of flower colour.
Research and Writing
[edit]Pellew conducted much of her significant work on the "rogue" phenomenon in peas with William Bateson and became known as "Professor Bateson's right-hand man",[1][2] or alternatively his "lieutenant, secretary, mentor and foil".[3] She headed the researchers at Merton after Bateson's death, including fellow female geneticists; Dorothea de Winton, Dorothy Caley, Alice Gairdner, Irma Anderson-Kotto and Aslaug Sverdrup.[4]
By 1929, Pellew had proved her passion for genetics and was given the title of ‘geneticist’ and meticulously worked with peas for over 20 years.[5][6]
In 1941, Pellew was forced to take "voluntary retirement" due to John Innes experiencing a reduction in income because of the war.[2]
Pellew wrote many papers on Pisum (peas) and Primula (Primrose) and in 1931 published a book called Genetical and Cytological Studies on the Relations Between Asiatic and European Varieties of Pisum Sativum.[7] In 1946, she wrote to J. B. S. Haldane to belatedly congratulate him on his marriage, explaining that her letter was late because she was "sacrificing letter writing to peas."[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Forsdyke, Donald R. (27 April 2016). Evolutionary Bioinformatics. Springer. ISBN 9783319287553.
- ^ a b "War and peas- John Innes Centre- jic.ac.uk".
- ^ HARMAN, Oren Solomon (30 June 2009). The Man Who Invented the Chromosome: the life of Cyril Darlington. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674038332.
- ^ HARMAN, Oren Solomon (30 June 2009). The Man Who Invented the Chromosome: the life of Cyril Darlington. Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674038332.
- ^ "Women scientist & early pea research".
- ^ Richmond, Marsha L. (1 January 2015). "Women as Mendelians and Geneticists". Science & Education. 24 (1–2): 125–150. Bibcode:2015Sc&Ed..24..125R. doi:10.1007/s11191-013-9666-6. ISSN 0926-7220. S2CID 144712362.
- ^ Pellew, Caroline (1931). Genetical and Cytological Studies on the Relations Between Asiatic and European Varieties of Pisum Sativum: I, II.
- ^ "Pellew, Caroline". wellcomelibrary.org. Retrieved 12 June 2017.