Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (6 November 1901 – 14 September 1957) was a British phycologist, known for her research on the edible seaweed Porphyra laciniata (nori), which led to a breakthrough for commercial cultivation.
Kathleen Drew-Baker's scientific legacy is revered in Japan, where she has been named Mother of the Sea.[1] Her work is celebrated each year on April 14. A monument to her was erected in 1963 at the Sumiyoshi shrine in Uto, Kumamoto, Japan.
Born Kathleen Mary Drew on 6 November 1901 in Leigh, Lancashire, the elder daughter of Walter and Augusta Caroline Drew. She attended Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury and won a County Major Scholarship to study botany at the University of Manchester. She graduated in 1922 with first class honours (one of the first two women to achieve a first class honours degree there)[2] and subsequently studied for an MSc, graduating in 1923.[3] In 1939 she was awarded a DSc (higher doctorate) from the same institution.
Academic career
Drew-Baker spent most of her academic life at the cryptogamicbotany department of the University of Manchester, serving as a lecturer in Botany and Researcher from 1922 to 1957. In 1925 she spent two years working at the University of California, Berkeley after winning a Commonwealth Fellowship, travelling as far as Hawaii to collect botanical samples. Kathleen married Manchester academic Henry Wright-Baker in 1928, which resulted in her dismissal by the university which had a policy of not employing married women.[4][2] Drew-Baker was awarded an Ashburne Hall Research Scholarship in 1922, and in later years joining the staff of the Manchester Botany Department and being awarded a research fellowship in the university's Laboratory of Cryptogamic Botany.
Research supporting commercial seaweed cultivation
Although Drew-Baker never travelled to Japan, her academic research made a lasting contribution to the development of commercial nori production in the country. Drew-Baker studied the life cycle of the red algae Porphyra umbilicalis and in an academic paper published in Nature in 1949, Drew-Baker detailed her research showing that the microscopic Conchocelis — hitherto thought of as an independent alga — was the diploid stage of the organism of which Porphyra is the macroscopic, haploid stage.[5] Her critical discovery was that at the microscopic conchocelis stage, bivalves and bivalve shells provided an essential host environment for the development of the red algae.[6][7]
Drew-Baker's investigations were soon read and replicated by the Japanese phycologist Sokichi Segawa, who applied Drew-Baker's findings to the Japanese nori seaweed, widely known for its use in sushi and other staples of Japanese cuisine. Although nori had been commercially harvested in Japan since the 17th century, it had always suffered from unpredictable harvests and had been particularly prone to damage from typhoons and pollution in coastal waters.[8] By 1953, Fusao Ota and other Japanese marine biologists had developed artificial seeding techniques, building on her work. This in turn increased production and led to a significant increase in production in the Japanese seaweed industry.
Drew-Baker's monument in Uto
In honour of her contributions to the Japanese aquaculture and role in rescuing the commercial production of nori, she was named Mother of the Sea in Japan, and since 1953, an annual "Drew festival" is celebrated in the city of Uto, Kumamoto in Japan, where a shrine to her was also erected.
Between 1924 and 1947 Drew-Baker published 47 academic papers mainly concerned with red algae. Her book A Revision of the Genera Chantransia, Rhodochorton, and Acrohaetium. With descriptions of the marine species of Rhodochorton, Naeg., Gen. Emend. on the Pacific Coast of North America was published by the University of California Press, Berkeley, in 1928.
^"Titanic musician and palace intruder enter dictionary". BBC News. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
^ ab"Drew-Baker, Kathleen M. (1901-1957) on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 25 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Haines, Catharine (2001). International Women in Science: A Biographical Dictionary to 1950. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC Clio Inc. p. 87. ISBN978-1-57607-090-1.
^"Girl from Leigh who became Japan's Mother of the Sea". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
^Drew, Kathleen M. (1949). "Conchocelis-phase in the life-history of Porphyra umbilicalis (L.) Kütz". Nature. 164 (4174): 748–749. Bibcode:1949Natur.164..748D. doi:10.1038/164748a0. S2CID 4134419.
^Mouritsen, Ole (2009). Sushi: Food for the Eye, the Body and the Soul. Springer. p. 91. ISBN978-1-4419-0617-5.
^Lund, J. W. G. (1958). "Kathleen M. Drew D.Sc. (Mrs. H. Wright Baker) 1901". British Phycological Bulletin. 1 (6): iv–12. doi:10.1080/00071615800650021.
^Graber, Cynthia (19 December 2014). "How This British Scientist Saved Japan's Seaweed Industry". Mother Jones.
^ ab"Drew , Kathleen Mary (1901–1957)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/94193. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^Inglis-Arkell, Esther (19 November 2017). "How an unpaid UK researcher saved the Japanese seaweed industry". Ars Technica.
Finding Nori — How an unpaid UK researcher saved the Japanese seaweed industry
January 07, 2023
kathleen, mary, drew, baker, fictional, character, drew, baker, november, 1901, september, 1957, british, phycologist, known, research, edible, seaweed, porphyra, laciniata, nori, which, breakthrough, commercial, cultivation, born, 1901, november, 1901leigh, l. For the fictional character see Drew Baker Kathleen Mary Drew Baker 6 November 1901 14 September 1957 was a British phycologist known for her research on the edible seaweed Porphyra laciniata nori which led to a breakthrough for commercial cultivation Kathleen Mary Drew BakerBorn 1901 11 06 6 November 1901Leigh Lancashire United KingdomDied14 September 1957 1957 09 14 aged 55 Manchester United KingdomAlma materUniversity of Manchester BS 1922 MS 1923 DSc 1939 Known forStudy of Porphyra umbilicalisSpouseHenry Wright BakerScientific careerFieldsBotanyInstitutionsUniversity of Manchester University of California BerkeleyInfluencedFusao Ota Sokichi SegawaKathleen Drew Baker s scientific legacy is revered in Japan where she has been named Mother of the Sea 1 Her work is celebrated each year on April 14 A monument to her was erected in 1963 at the Sumiyoshi shrine in Uto Kumamoto Japan Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Academic career 2 1 Research supporting commercial seaweed cultivation 3 Family 4 Author abbreviation 5 References 6 External linksEarly life and education EditBorn Kathleen Mary Drew on 6 November 1901 in Leigh Lancashire the elder daughter of Walter and Augusta Caroline Drew She attended Bishop Wordsworth s School Salisbury and won a County Major Scholarship to study botany at the University of Manchester She graduated in 1922 with first class honours one of the first two women to achieve a first class honours degree there 2 and subsequently studied for an MSc graduating in 1923 3 In 1939 she was awarded a DSc higher doctorate from the same institution Academic career EditDrew Baker spent most of her academic life at the cryptogamic botany department of the University of Manchester serving as a lecturer in Botany and Researcher from 1922 to 1957 In 1925 she spent two years working at the University of California Berkeley after winning a Commonwealth Fellowship travelling as far as Hawaii to collect botanical samples Kathleen married Manchester academic Henry Wright Baker in 1928 which resulted in her dismissal by the university which had a policy of not employing married women 4 2 Drew Baker was awarded an Ashburne Hall Research Scholarship in 1922 and in later years joining the staff of the Manchester Botany Department and being awarded a research fellowship in the university s Laboratory of Cryptogamic Botany Research supporting commercial seaweed cultivation Edit Although Drew Baker never travelled to Japan her academic research made a lasting contribution to the development of commercial nori production in the country Drew Baker studied the life cycle of the red algae Porphyra umbilicalis and in an academic paper published in Nature in 1949 Drew Baker detailed her research showing that the microscopic Conchocelis hitherto thought of as an independent alga was the diploid stage of the organism of which Porphyra is the macroscopic haploid stage 5 Her critical discovery was that at the microscopic conchocelis stage bivalves and bivalve shells provided an essential host environment for the development of the red algae 6 7 Nori cultivation Mie Prefecture JapanDrew Baker s investigations were soon read and replicated by the Japanese phycologist Sokichi Segawa who applied Drew Baker s findings to the Japanese nori seaweed widely known for its use in sushi and other staples of Japanese cuisine Although nori had been commercially harvested in Japan since the 17th century it had always suffered from unpredictable harvests and had been particularly prone to damage from typhoons and pollution in coastal waters 8 By 1953 Fusao Ota and other Japanese marine biologists had developed artificial seeding techniques building on her work This in turn increased production and led to a significant increase in production in the Japanese seaweed industry Drew Baker s monument in UtoIn honour of her contributions to the Japanese aquaculture and role in rescuing the commercial production of nori she was named Mother of the Sea in Japan and since 1953 an annual Drew festival is celebrated in the city of Uto Kumamoto in Japan where a shrine to her was also erected Between 1924 and 1947 Drew Baker published 47 academic papers mainly concerned with red algae Her book A Revision of the Genera Chantransia Rhodochorton and Acrohaetium With descriptions of the marine species of Rhodochorton Naeg Gen Emend on the Pacific Coast of North America was published by the University of California Press Berkeley in 1928 She was a co founder of the British Phycological Society in 1952 with her friend and fellow phycologist Margaret T Martin 9 and its first elected president 10 Family EditShe married Professor Henry Wright Baker of the Manchester College of Science and Technology in 1928 and they had two children John Rendle and K Frances Biggs She was a member of the Society of Friends 9 Author abbreviation EditThe standard author abbreviation K M Drew is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name 11 References Edit Titanic musician and palace intruder enter dictionary BBC News 27 May 2010 Retrieved 27 May 2010 a b Drew Baker Kathleen M 1901 1957 on JSTOR plants jstor org Retrieved 25 March 2020 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Haines Catharine 2001 International Women in Science A Biographical Dictionary to 1950 Santa Barbara CA ABC Clio Inc p 87 ISBN 978 1 57607 090 1 Girl from Leigh who became Japan s Mother of the Sea Lancashire Telegraph Retrieved 9 June 2018 Drew Kathleen M 1949 Conchocelis phase in the life history of Porphyra umbilicalis L Kutz Nature 164 4174 748 749 Bibcode 1949Natur 164 748D doi 10 1038 164748a0 S2CID 4134419 Mouritsen Ole 2009 Sushi Food for the Eye the Body and the Soul Springer p 91 ISBN 978 1 4419 0617 5 Lund J W G 1958 Kathleen M Drew D Sc Mrs H Wright Baker 1901 British Phycological Bulletin 1 6 iv 12 doi 10 1080 00071615800650021 Graber Cynthia 19 December 2014 How This British Scientist Saved Japan s Seaweed Industry Mother Jones a b Drew Kathleen Mary 1901 1957 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 94193 Subscription or UK public library membership required Inglis Arkell Esther 19 November 2017 How an unpaid UK researcher saved the Japanese seaweed industry Ars Technica International Plant Names Index K M Drew External links EditPortrait photograph Uto City official webpage in Japanese archived at the Internet Archive BBC Radio 4 Program The Mother of The Sea Finding Nori How an unpaid UK researcher saved the Japanese seaweed industry Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kathleen Mary Drew Baker amp oldid 1117052048, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
