Anne Madden (biologist)
Anne Arnold Madden, Ph.D. is an American biologist, inventor, and science communicator who advocates for finding "microbial solutions to human problems."[1]
Madden’s research on microscopic life is often featured in the press, particularly her studies on the microbial community of food,[2][3] using advanced DNA techniques to create the first atlas of arthropods in USA homes,[4][5][6] investigating the microscopic life in dust,[7] and using insect yeasts for ethanol production and beer brewing.[8][9][10][11][12][13]
Her research on insect-associated microorganisms lead to a patent application on the use of the yeast Lachancea thermotolerans for beer brewing[14] and the first commercialization of primary souring yeasts for making sour beer. She first isolated the yeast from wasps and bumblebees.[15] This technology formed the basis of the biotechnology company Lachancea LLC.
Madden discovered and named the species Mucor nidicola, a fungus that lives inside the nests of wasps.[16] Madden presented at the TED2017 conference in Vancouver, BC.[17] She has also presented at other TED events such as TEDxCharlotte[18] and TEDxGateway.[19] She was featured in the award-winning science documentary film "The Kingdom: How Fungi Made Our World."[20]
She is the founder of The Microbe Institute, an interdisciplinary resource for microbial discovery with a focus on education, art and discovery. The Microbe Institute also features a fellowship program that supports individuals in pursuing short (typically < 6 month) interdisciplinary projects related to microbes.
She has some of the most famous hair in science, as the Luxuriant Flowing Hair Club for Scientists—a group associated with the Ig Nobel Award[21]—named her woman of the year in 2015.[22]
Selected publications
- The Microscopic Alchemist. PrimerStories.
- The ecology of insect-yeast relationships and its relevance to human industry. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (2018) 285(1875)
- The diversity of arthropods in homes across the United States as determined by environmental DNA analyses. Molecular Ecology (2016). 25(24): 6214-6224. doi: 10.1111/mec.13900
- The emerging contribution of social wasps to grape rot disease ecology. PeerJ. (2017) 5:e3223; DOI 10.7717/peerj.3223
- Microbes should be central to ecological education and outreach. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education.
- Actinomycetes with antimicrobial activity isolated from paper wasp nests. Environmental Entomology. (2013) 42(2): 703-710.
- Mucor nidicola sp. nov., a novel fungal species isolated from an invasive paper wasp nest. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.(2012) 62(7): 1710-1714. (*Cover)
- First detailed report of brood parasitoidism in the invasive population of the paper wasp Polistes dominulus (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in North America. (2010) Insectes Sociaux. 57(3): 257-260.
- Sex-related differences in alkaloid chemical defenses of the dendrobatid frog Oophaga pumilio from Cayo Nancy, Bocas del Toro, Panama. (2009) Journal of Natural Products. 73(3): 317-321.
- Neocitreamicins I and II, novel antibiotics with activity against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci. (2008) Journal of Antibiotics. 61(7):457-463. (*Cover)
References
- Madden, Anne, Meet the microscopic life in your home -- and on your face, retrieved 2019-01-19
- "Secrets of Sourdough". Gastropod. 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- "Sourdough Hands: How Bakers And Bread Are A Microbial Match". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- "DNA in dust reveals truth about bugs lurking in our homes". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- "The first nationwide map of the many insects that live in our houses". Newsweek. 22 November 2016.
- "Scientists just completed a census of the creepy crawlies that live in our homes". Washington Post.
- "What's hiding in my dust?". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- Mickle, Tripp (9 October 2015). "Tough Day? How About a Frosty Schooner of Pizza or Pond Scum?". Wall Street Journal.
- "Your next happy hour buzz, brought to you by bees". PBS NewsHour.
- "The Beers and the Bees: Pollinators Provide a Different Kind of Brewer's Yeast". Scientific American.
- Mickle, Tripp (2015-10-09). "Tough Day? How About a Frosty Schooner of Pizza or Pond Scum?". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- "Walk on the Wild Side With Beer Made From Wasp Yeast". National Geographic. 2015-09-29. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- Biba, Erin (2018-06-29). "A Cocktail of Bugs and Yeast Could Make the Ultimate Biofuel". Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- "TEDx Gateway 2018: Microorganisms are source of our solutions, not problems, says microbiologist Dr Anne Madden". Free Press Journal. 3 February 2018.
- Rimler, Rose (11 August 2015). "Yeast from bees makes nice beer". Waterloo Region Record.
- "The secret lives of wasps". The Tufts Daily. 27 November 2011.
- Madden, Anne, Meet the microscopic life in your home -- and on your face, retrieved 2018-09-14
- TEDx Talks, Your new favorite flavor is going to come from yeast in insects | Anne Madden | TEDxCharlotte, retrieved 2019-01-19
- "Dr. Anne Madden". TEDxGateway [2 Dec 2018, Mumbai] Independently Organized TED Event. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- Smith&Nasht (2018-02-08), Watch THE KINGDOM - How Fungi Made Our World Online | Vimeo On Demand, retrieved 2019-01-19
- "Improbable Research". Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- "Improbable Research » Blog Archive". Retrieved 2019-01-19.
External links
- Anne Madden publications indexed by Google Scholar
- Anne Madden is founder of The Microbe Institute