Agnes J. Quirk (1884–1974) was an American

bacteriologist A bacteriologist is a microbiologist, or similarly trained professional, in bacteriology -- a subdivision of microbiology that studies bacteria, typically Pathogenic bacteria, pathogenic ones. Bacteriologists are interested in studying and learnin ...

plant pathologist Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungus, fung ...

, and inventor. She oversaw the culturing of bacteria in the Laboratory of Plant Pathology at the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

's Bureau of Plant Industry.Padgett, Edward R. (July 30, 1916). Women who do unusual work for Uncle Sam. '' Sunday Vindicator'' She received a

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

for the production of

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...

mold and jelly in 1952.Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey; Harvey, Joy D. (2000).
The biographical dictionary of women in science. 2. L - Z
'.

Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in England that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research or Dovepress. It is a division of Informa ...

Life and career

Hired by B.T. Galloway, who headed the Laboratory of Plant Pathology at the USDA's Bureau of Plant Industry. There, in 1901, she became an assistant to pathologist-in-charge

Erwin Frink Smith Erwin Frink Smith (January 21, 1854 – April 6, 1927) was an American plant pathologist with the United States Department of Agriculture. He played a major role in demonstrating that bacteria could cause plant disease. Life and career Smith w ...

, who was "proud of his record of appointing women to work at the department." Quirk's research focused on

crown gall ''Agrobacterium'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria established by H. J. Conn that uses horizontal gene transfer to cause tumors in plants. ''Agrobacterium tumefaciens'' is the most commonly studied species in this genus. ''Agrobacterium'' is ...

oxidation phenomena and culture mediums used in pathogenic analyses, working alongside Nellie A. Brown. Her original job titles at the laboratory consisted of "laboratory aide" and "scientific assistant". While a lab assistant, Quirk had three of her own assistants who helped her prepare growth media. She also invented a new apparatus to help measure amounts of media more accurately and without funnels. In 1923, she worked with Edna H. Fawcett to publish a paper concerning the hydrogen-ion concentration in culture mediums. Their joint research considered "the approximate ranges of growth (acid-alkaline) of more than 24 bacteria pathogenic to plants." From 1928 to 1948, Quirk was the head of the laboratory. At the Symposium on Bacterial Dissociation and Life Cycles of the

Society of American Bacteriologists The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), originally the Society of American Bacteriologists, is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. It wa ...

, Quirk presented "A Five-fold Technic for Producing the Filterable Form of Bacillus phytophthorus," showcasing her skills in

bacteriology Bacteriology is the branch and specialty of biology that studies the morphology, ecology, genetics and biochemistry of bacteria as well as many other aspects related to them. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classificat ...

. As a bacteriologist with experience, Quirk would share out different culturing techniques, like a formula for potato

agar Agar ( or ), or agar-agar, is a jelly-like substance consisting of polysaccharides obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae, primarily from ogonori (''Gracilaria'') and "tengusa" (''Gelidiaceae''). As found in nature, agar is ...

and a novel

growth medium A growth medium or culture medium is a solid, liquid, or semi-solid designed to support the growth of a population of microorganisms or cells via the process of cell proliferation or small plants like the moss ''Physcomitrella patens''. Differen ...

Selected publications

*Quirk, A.J. & Fawcett, E. H. (1923). Hydrogen-ion concentration vs. titratable acidity in culture mediums. *Quirk, A.J. & Smith, E.F. (1926). ''A Begonia Immune to Crowngall: With Observations on other Immune or Semi-Immune Plants'' *Brown, N. A., & Quirk, A. J. (1929). Influence of bacteriophage on Bacterium tumefaciens, and some potential studies of filtrates. *Quirk, A.J. (1931). Pure Smooth and Rough Colony Types at Will: ''Science'' Vol. 74 Friday, November 6, 1931, No. 1923 *Quirk, A.J. (1934). ''The Correlation of Animal and Plant Bacterial Behavior and Imposed Culture Aledium Environment''. ''

Journal of Bacteriology The ''Journal of Bacteriology'' is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal established in 1916. It is published by the American Society for Microbiology and the editor in chief is George A. O'Toole (Dartmouth College). The journal is delayed o ...

'' 1934 (J. Bacteriol. 1934, 27(1):22.)

References

External links

Agnes J. Quirk
via

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quirk, Agnes J. 1884 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American botanists American bacteriologists American women botanists Women microbiologists United States Department of Agriculture people American phytopathologists Women phytopathologists 20th-century American inventors 20th-century American women scientists Women inventors