ALD23 Books: The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent, Danielle J. Whittaker

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The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent, Danielle J. Whittaker

Evolutionary science has defined the history of biology, providing the foundation for modern biology and opening the doors to novel types of research. It has played a crucial role in our understanding of how birds have evolved throughout history, debunking myths and helping scientific research progress beyond theory – enhancing our understanding of birds’ origins, adaptations, and behaviours. 

Avian scent has been a long-standing subject of misunderstanding in the scientific world; the myth of birds not having a sense of smell has caused great confusion in our understanding of how birds live and of their world as we know it. Many scientists had questions: 

  • How do birds communicate?
  • How is their behaviour influenced?
  • How do they pick a mate?
  • How do they choose where to build their nests?

The puzzling lack of evidence for the peculiar but widespread belief that birds have no sense of smell irked evolutionary biologist Danielle Whittaker. Exploring the science behind the myth led her on an unexpected quest investigating mysteries from how juncos win a fight to why cowbirds smell like cookies. 

The Secret Perfume of Birds is the untold story of a stunning discovery: not only can birds smell, but their scents may be the secret to understanding their world. It explores the twisting roads of scientific research, detailing the many trials and tribulations that can occur along the way. Drawing on her extensive expertise in ornithology and scent science, Whittaker delves into the evolution, biology, and behaviour of birds, showcasing how scent plays a crucial role in their lives, from communication and navigation to foraging and mate selection. Through engaging narratives and vivid anecdotes, she introduces readers to a diverse array of bird species, from the enchanting albatrosses of remote islands to the charismatic hummingbirds of lush tropical forests.

Order the book on Bookshop.org.uk. 

About the Author

Danielle J Whittaker is an evolutionary biologist and the managing director of the Center for Oldest Ice Exploration (COLDEX) at Oregon State University. From gibbons in Indonesia to the dark-eyed juncos of North America, her research focuses on the forces that influence animal behaviour, mate selection, and evolution. Whittaker was previously managing director of the BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action at Michigan State University. 

She is intrigued by the unseen external forces that influence our behaviour, mate choice, and, ultimately, evolutionary trajectories. Her research focuses on the interaction between the microbiome and animal behaviour, and the resulting impact on evolutionary dynamics. She has specifically studied chemical communication in a songbird called the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis), plus the uropygial-gland microbiome’s role in the production and evolution of chemical signals present in preen oil, as well as the effects of social behaviour on these symbiotic microbes.

You can follow Danielle Whittaker’s work here:

Twitter: @juncostink
Website: Danielle J Whittaker Bird Research (burroughs-whittaker.com) 

With thanks to Synergy for their support.

ALD23: Dr Leone Norwood Farrell, Biochemist & Microbiologist

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Dr Leone Norwood Farrell

Dr Leone Norwood Farrell was a Canadian biochemist and microbiologist whose inventions enabled the large-scale production of the polio vaccine in the 1950s. Her innovative research also helped increase the production of penicillin and sped up the rollout of vaccinations against whooping cough.

Farrell was born in Monkland, Ontario, on 13 April 1904. She studied chemistry at undergraduate level, going on to an MSc in zymology (the chemistry of fermentation) and a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Toronto. In 1934, the year after she obtained her doctorate, Farrell was hired as a research assistant by the university’s Connaught Laboratories. It was a career move that would change her life.

Connaught was a public-service lab that prepared essential health products such as antitoxins, insulin and vaccines. Farrell initially worked on toxoid vaccines for staphylococcus and dysentery, but in 1939, she began developing a new method of growing bacterial cultures in large bottles. These were gently rocked to promote cell growth, significantly increasing the amount of bacteria and toxins that could be cultivated for use in vaccines.

In the early 1940s, Farrell adapted her technique – later known as the “Toronto Method” – to produce a vaccine for pertussis (whooping cough) on a far larger scale than had previously been possible. This made childhood immunisation programmes much more affordable, a remarkable achievement in its own right. Towards the end of World War II, she also identified a strain of penicillium that helped boost antibiotic production.

But it was during the development of the polio vaccine in the early 1950s that Farrell’s rocking technique became truly transformative. The American virologist Dr Jonas Salk had found a way of providing immunity against polio, by injecting people with a killed version of the virus. However, he was struggling to create the vaccine in significant quantities. From 1953, Farrell and her team began adapting the Toronto Method to safely mass-produce the live polio virus, which was then shipped to the US and killed for use in Salk’s research.

To prepare for an unprecedented mass field trial of Salk’s polio vaccine, Farrell oversaw the hiring and training of staff and the custom-building of machines capable of rocking bottles containing 3,000 litres of the virus. At the time, hers was the only team in the world capable of working at such a rate. The trial began in April 1954, with the result made public a year later, the day before Farrell’s 51st birthday. The vaccine worked. “I could not help feeling that I had received a pretty fine present,” she said later.

After that triumph, Farrell returned to her life-saving research into diseases, studying how the polio vaccine could be improved and researching issues surrounding vaccine production and immunity. She published scientific papers until her retirement from the Connaught in 1969, but never sought or achieved Salk’s global celebrity. She died on 24 September 1986 and was buried in an unmarked grave. In 2009, a family tombstone was updated with her name and a tribute to her work.

Variations of the Toronto Method were reportedly used until the 1970s to make polio vaccines; Connaught never patented the process, apparently at Farrell’s request.

Further Reading

Written by Moya Crockett, with thanks to Stylist for their support.

ALD23: Annie Easley, Computer Scientist, Mathematician and Rocket Scientist

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Annie Easley

Annie Jean Easley was an American computer scientist, mathematician and rocket scientist. As one of NASA’s first African-American employees, she helped develop software for the Centaur rocket stage, which enabled several landmark spaceflights in the later 20th century. Over the course of her career, she also worked on technologies that foreshadowed the creation of hybrid vehicles, and developed computer code that later aided the creation of sustainable energy projects.

Easley was born on 23 April 1933 in Birmingham, Alabama. She majored in pharmacy at college in New Orleans, but her academic career was thwarted when she moved with her husband to Cleveland, Ohio, where there were no pharmaceutical schools. In 1955, aged 22, Easley read a newspaper story about sisters who worked as “computers” for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). She applied for a job at the NACA Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland and was hired within two weeks, becoming one of just four African-Americans among around 2,500 employees in her division.

At NACA, which became NASA in 1958, Easley was tasked with calculating complex mathematical functions for scientists. After electronic computers were introduced, her role switched to mathematician and computer technician. She taught herself computer programming languages and contributed to the development of battery-powered vehicles, precursors to today’s hybrid cars. She also started working directly on space research – contributing to shuttle launches and running simulations to help test and design a NASA nuclear reactor.

The most influential period of Easley’s career at NASA arguably began in the early 1960s, when she started work on nuclear-powered rocket systems. She was a leading member of the team that developed the Centaur rocket, the United States’ first high-energy upper stage (a launch vehicle used to propel aircrafts into exceptionally high orbits). The Centaur had its first successful launch in 1963 and without it later launches of historic space shuttles and satellites would not have been possible. These include exploratory spacecraft like the Surveyor, Pioneer, Viking and Voyager, as well as the Cassini-Huygens, the first probe to enter Saturn’s orbit.

NASA’s space programme faced huge cuts in the 1970s, and Easley – who had never completed her undergraduate studies – suspected she would need a degree to protect her position. She achieved a bachelor’s in mathematics from Cleveland State University in 1977, having worked full-time throughout her studies (NASA denied her the financial aid it gave other employees to further their education). She then began work on energy issues such as damage to the ozone layer, developing and implementing computer applications that were later used to discover more efficient energy conversion systems and viable solar and wind projects.

Easley retired from NASA and science in 1989, and died on 25 June 2011, aged 78. Four years after her death, she was posthumously inducted into the NASA Glenn Research Center’s Hall of Fame. On 1 February 2021, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named a crater on the Moon in Easley’s honour, in recognition of her contribution to space travel.

Further Reading

Written by Moya Crockett, with thanks to Stylist for their support.

ALD23 Books: Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark, Sarafina El-Badry Nance

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Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark, Sarafina El-Badry Nance

Starstruck is an inspiring and beautifully crafted memoir by Egyptian-American astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance. It takes readers on a journey through her life, highlighting her remarkable path to becoming an astrophysicist whilst confronting significant challenges and experiences as a woman of colour in the scientific world, forging ahead to embrace her passion for the cosmos and her advocacy for women’s health.

Each chapter of Starstruck begins with captivating science lessons, offering the reader insights into the universe. In addition to her scientific pursuits, Sarafina candidly discusses the real-world challenges she has faced, including misogyny, racism, abuse, intergenerational trauma, anxiety, self-doubt, and her battle with cancer (along with her subsequent recovery). Starstruck is a testament to resilience, showing how one can pursue their passion for science and space exploration whilst navigating adversity. It resides at the intersection of cosmic exploration and the transformational power of perseverance. Sarafina’s story is honest and empowering, encouraging readers to embrace their dreams even in the face of societal barriers and personal hardships.

Ultimately, Starstruck is a compelling narrative of a woman who defied stereotypes and pushed through the boundaries of what was expected of her, all whilst exploring the wonders of the universe and encouraging others to overcome obstacles in pursuit of their dreams.

Order the book on Bookshop.org.uk. 

Hear Sarafina talk about her book here.

About the author

Sarafina El-Badry Nance is an Egyptian-American astrophysicist and women’s health advocate. Her fascination with space began in her Texas childhood, listening to StarDate on the radio and finding solace in the night sky, which ignited her passion for astronomy. 

She is currently pursuing her PhD at UC Berkeley; however, beyond her scientific pursuits, she is a dedicated science communicator, emphasising the importance of failure in science. She is also an advocate for women’s health, sharing her own experience with the BRCA2 gene and using social media to raise awareness about cancer testing and preventive measures.

In 2021, she was recognised by Forbes as one of 30 inspirational women, and was featured on the Arab American Foundation’s 40 Under 40 list. She has hosted the astronomy series Constellations on Seeker, showcasing her commitment to public engagement in science. Additionally, she has been awarded fellowships by the National Science Foundation, and her work has been featured by the BBC, NPR, and National Geographic. 

You can follow Sarafina El-Badry Nance’s work here:

Twitter: @starstrickenSF
Instagram: @starstrickenSF
LinkedIn: Sarafina Nance
YouTube: youtube.com/@sarafinananceSF
Website: starafina.com

With thanks to Synergy for their support.

ALD23: Professor Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi, Marine Biologist

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Professor Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi

Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi was a marine biologist who pioneered the study of marine sciences in the Dominican Republic and created one of the first sanctuaries for humpback whales. Dubbed the “mother of marine conservation in the Caribbean”, she dedicated her career to protecting ocean biodiversity.

Bonnelly was born on 10 September 1931 in Santiago de los Caballeros, a city in the Dominican Republic. Reflecting on her childhood in 2010, she observed that she had always loved animals and “lived very close to the sea, which I saw as a challenge, a mystery that I wanted to unravel”.

Marine biology was not taught in Dominican universities when Bonnelly left school, and so she upped sticks for New York City, graduating with a BSc from Columbia University in 1956 and a master’s from New York University in 1961. During her postgraduate studies she worked as a research assistant in the lab at the New York Aquarium, monitoring the health of species including penguins and walruses.

When Bonnelly returned home, her lifetime’s mission – understanding and protecting the marine ecosystems surrounding the Dominican Republic – began in earnest. In 1962, she created the country’s first institute for the study of marine biology, now the Marine Biology Research Center (CIBIMA) of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD). She launched the Dominican Republic’s first biology degree programme four years later, and founded the nation’s Academy of Sciences in 1974.

When CIBIMA was first established, there was scant knowledge about how to manage ocean resources. However, Bonnelly could see that coastal areas around the Dominican Republic were deteriorating, while species were diminishing in number. CIBIMA spearheaded vital research on coastal wildlife, including studies to establish closed fishing seasons and improve the quality of marine food.

Over the course of Bonnelly’s career, many of her scientific papers helped inform environmental laws and became influential in the field of marine conservation. In 1986, for example, her research played a vital role in the creation of the Humpback Whale Sanctuary of the Banco de la Plata, the first such sanctuary in the North Atlantic. She was also known for her skill at building strong relationships with national Dominican institutions and marine science departments at other Caribbean universities.

Bonnelly became a professor emerita at UASD in 1990, serving as coordinator of graduate studies in biology for two more years. In 1991, she joined the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World and created the Dominican Foundation for Marine Research (Fundemar), which continues to promote the sustainable use of coastal marine ecosystems through research, education and conservation projects. As part of her work with the organisation, Bonnelly oversaw the Dominican Republic’s first dolphin study, and later worked on projects around climate change adaptation in coral reefs.

She published research until late in life, and was made an academic laureate of the Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic in 2007. Bonnelly died on 3 July 2022, aged 90. Science, she once said, “is about data, perseverance, discipline and often about love, and women know a lot about all this”.

Among many honours, Bonnelly was awarded the Marie Curie Medal from Unesco in 2009. The BBC recognised her as one of the 10 most important female scientists in Latin America in 2013, and in 2016 the Dominican Republic’s National Authority for Marine Affairs named a marine strait in her honour. Whales regularly pass through the strait, on their way to the crystalline waters Bonnelly loved so much.

Further Reading

Written by Moya Crockett, with thanks to Stylist for their support.