A study recently published in the International Journal of Microbial Systematics and Evolutionary Microbiology reveals an entrenched inequality between men and women in the field of Microbiology, based on an analysis of prokaryotic nomenclature from a gender perspective. The work shows the poor relationship between female eponyms and the contribution of women in this field of biology over the years. The article is a collaboration between IATA-CSIC, the University of Valencia and the Leibniz Institut of Germany
A team formed by scientists from the Department of Microbiology and Ecology of the University of Valencia, the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA, CSIC), located at the UV Science Park (PCUV), and the Leibniz Institut of Germany have just published a study in the International Journal of Microbial Systematics and Evolutionary Microbiology, one of the journals of the Microbiology Society, and the Leibniz Institut of Germany have just published a study in the International Journal of Microbial Systematics and Evolutionary Microbiology, one of the journals of the Microbiology Society, which analyzes prokaryotic eponyms -bacteria and archaea- from a gender perspective. This is the largest analysis in biological nomenclature ever performed -more than 23,000 names- and the first time it has been carried out with this type of organisms. The data were obtained from the 'List of prokaryotic names with nomenclatural status (LPSN)'. Excluding new combinations, the etymologies of 23,315 unique names in the genus, species and subspecies range were analyzed - a total of 2018 names (8.7%) are eponyms - and the development of female participation over time was investigated.
Gender inequalities in microbiology can manifest themselves in many different ways. The underrepresentation of women in decision-making bodies in academic, industrial and scientific environments are more than evident, even though gender equality is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In biology, one of the ways in which public recognition is given to the most outstanding personalities in each field is through the formation of scientific names derived from proper names, i.e., through the granting of eponyms.
"Only 14.8% of all prokaryotic eponyms refer to women and this proportion has hardly improved since 1947, even though the contribution of women to Microbiology has increased considerably", David Ruiz Arahal, professor of Microbiology at the University of Valencia and head of the project
According to the article, women began to be recognized very recently compared to men. The first woman honored with an eponym was Delia E. Johnson in 1947, an American microbiologist who pioneered the study of chitinolytic soil bacteria with gliding motility, eponymizing the bacterium Cytophaga johnsonae. This was 124 years after the first time a man, Italian physicist Serafino Serrati, was honored with the eponym Serratia in 1823. "Only 14.8% of all prokaryotic eponyms refer to women and this proportion has hardly improved since 1947, even though the contribution of women to Microbiology has increased considerably," comments David Ruiz Arahal, Professor of Microbiology at the Universitat de València and head of the project. "In a recent source on gender gap in science, microbiology was close to 45% of authorships by women in 2016 with a positive growth and parity forecast in a horizon of 5 years or less", adds the scientist.
The analysis also reveals that the gender gap also affects the number of multiple recognitions. Thus, among the four people honored with more than seven eponyms are Louis Pasteur, Hans Georg Trüper and Qing-Sheng Fan, but only one woman, Wen-Xin Chen. In order to change this trend and help reduce the gender gap, the study encourages proposing new taxon names to honor female scientists who can stand as role models for new generations. "To do this, we compiled lists from independent references that also provide notable biographical data. Naming prokaryotes after women who have contributed to microbiology or other sciences would undoubtedly increase their visibility," explains Lola Giner Pérez, IATA researcher and co-signer of the article.
In order to change this trend and contribute to reducing the gender gap, the study encourages the proposal of new taxon names to honor women scientists who can serve as role models for the next generation
Reference: The gender gap in names of prokaryotes honouring persons. Heike M. Freese, Lola Giner-Pérez, Aharon Oren, Markus Göker, David R. Arahal. Microbiology Society. https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.006115