Person Stephenson; Marjory (1885 - 1948); biochemist Stephenson Marjory biochemist 1885 - 1948 British Female High Town, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England 24 January 1885 18850124 Evelyn Nursing Home, Cambridge, England 12/12/1948 19481212

Cambridge (1943)

Biochemist Microbiology Biochemistry Education: At home (until the age of 12); Berkhampstead High School for Girls; Newnham College, Cambridge (matriculated 1903). Career: Studied, then taught, domestic science (for 5 years); assisted with teaching in R H A Plimmer's laboratory, University College, London (1911); researched animal lactase and the esters of palmitic acid, then later worked on experimental diabetes; worked with the Red Cross in France and Salonika (1914-1918) for which she received the MBE; biochemical department, Cambridge under Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins (FRS 1905); studied biochemical activities of bacteria; wrote 'Bacterial Metabolism' (first published 1930); collaborated with Juda Quastel (FRS 1940) on anaerobic growth in bacteria; one of the first two women to be elected to the Royal Society; Reader in Chemical Microbiology, Cambridge University (1947); helped to found the Society for General Microbiology (1945); died of cancer (1948). Honours: MBE 1918 Memberships: Society for General Microbiology (second President 1947) Association of Scientific Workers (VP) Parents: Robert Stephenson, farmer, and his wife Sarah Rogers of Newmarket. One of the first two women to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Distinguished as a biochemist particularly in the field of bacterial metabolism with her publication Bacterial Metabolism (1930) becoming a standard textbook for microbiologists. Basing her work mainly on the study of "resting" bacteria she was able, with Quastel, to throw new light on the metabolism of anaerobic organisms. Later she discovered the enzyme hydrogenase, which activates molecular hydrogen, and studied its reactions. She showed that Bact coli can develop an enzyme (hydrogenlyase) which decomposes formic acid to carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and was led by this discovery to contribute further to the general problem of adaptive enzymes. Advanced knowledge of bacterial deamination. Fellow 22/03/1945 60 Juda Hirsch Quastel W W C Topley Joseph Arthur Arkwright James Walter McLeod John Charles Grant Ledingham William Ewart Gye Edward Mellanby John Burdon Sanderson Haldane Howard Walter Florey Frederick Gowland Hopkins Malcolm Dixon Albert Charles Chibnall David Keilin Paul Fildes Charles Robert Harrington Samuel Phillips Bedson Peter Bruce White Christopher Howard Andrewes Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB; DSB vol 18 pp 857-860 Obituaries: Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 1948-1949 vol 6 pp 563-577, plate, by Muriel Robertson References: Joan Mason, 'The Admission of the First Women to the Royal Society of London' in NR 1992 vol 46 pp 279-300, plate Joan Mason, 'The Women Fellows' Jubilee' in NR 1995 vol 49 pp 125-140 Stephenson M GA WSS 21825.jpg ©Godfrey Argent Studio International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.1949.0013 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Stephenson%2C+Marjory RCN R64875 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH8084 24 Jan 1885 - 12 Dec 1948 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 11/12/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA8092 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 08/09/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes 3e378c0d-4968-451c-90ad-97ea0be70bc7