Lida Holmes Mattman Ph.D. (1912–2008) was an immunologist. She graduated with a M.S. in

Virology Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, th ...

from the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

and a Ph.D. in

Immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see the ...

from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. Mattman taught in the fields of immunology, microbiology,

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 ...

, virology and

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

for over 30 years. She worked at various schools and institutions including

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, Howard Hughes Institute, Oakland University and

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

. She was a

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

in the Department of Biological Sciences at Wayne State University in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

where she was engaged in research and lecturing. She has served as President of the Michigan Branch of the

American Society for Microbiology 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 ...

, as Chairman of the Medical Division of the Michigan Academy of Sciences, and held various offices in the local chapter of

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is a highly prestigious, non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a small group of graduate students in 1886 ...

. Her studies have concerned investigating the role of surface tension depressants in immunological systems, the first complement fixation with a bacteria-free virus, the first report of wound

botulism Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacterium ''Clostridium botulinum''. The disease begins with weakness, blurred vision, feeling tired, and trouble speaking. This may then be followed by weakne ...

, geotrichum mycemia, nasal carriage of ''

Clostridium tetani ''Clostridium tetani'' is a common soil bacterium and the causative agent of tetanus. Vegetative cells of ''Clostridium tetani'' are usually rod-shaped and up to 2.5 μm long, but they become enlarged and tennis racket- or drumstick-shaped wh ...

'', antibiotic cure of rhinoscleroma, antibiotic sensitivity testing of '' Coccidiodes immitis'', and

electron microscope An electron microscope is a microscope that uses a beam of accelerated electrons as a source of illumination. As the wavelength of an electron can be up to 100,000 times shorter than that of visible light photons, electron microscopes have a hi ...

studies of ''Peptococci''. The most in-depth studies relate to L Forms spontaneously occurring ''in vivo'' and ''in vitro''. Mattman developed a new method for culturing '' B. burgdorferi'' from patients with purported

chronic Lyme disease Chronic Lyme disease (CLD) is the name used by some people with "a broad array of illnesses or symptom complexes for which there is no reproducible or convincing scientific evidence of any relationship to ''Borrelia burgdorferi'' infection" to ...

. This culture method was discredited when it was found that the method used a medium that killed ''B. burgdorferi''. Mattman also authored the book ''Cell Wall Deficient Forms: Stealth Pathogens''. A 2014 literature review found that Cell Wall Deficient forms, also known as L-forms, do not have a role in Lyme disease. Mattman was nominated for the 1997 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology. She died in 2008 at the age of 96.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mattman, Lida Holmes 1912 births 2008 deaths American microbiologists University of Kansas alumni Yale University alumni Harvard University faculty Oakland University faculty Wayne State University faculty American women microbiologists Lyme disease researchers 20th-century American women scientists 20th-century American scientists American women academics 21st-century American women