Birgit Ann-Marie Margareta Nordbring-Hertz, (16 May 1923 – 16 March 2020 in Lund, Sweden) was a Swedish scientist at
Lund University
, motto = Ad utrumque
, mottoeng = Prepared for both
, established =
, type = Public research university
, budget = SEK 9 billion fungi
A fungus (plural, : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of Eukaryote, eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and Mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified ...
and
nematodes
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...
.
Education
Nordbring-Hertz graduated with a medical licentiate degree with a thesis on the opportunistic human pathogenic fungus, ''
Candida albicans
''Candida albicans'' is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast that is a common member of the human gut flora. It can also survive outside the human body. It is detected in the gastrointestinal tract and mouth in 40–60% of healthy adults. It is usua ...
'', 1956 at
Lund University
, motto = Ad utrumque
, mottoeng = Prepared for both
, established =
, type = Public research university
, budget = SEK 9 billion and received a
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' ...
in
microbiology
Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, ...
in 1974 at the same university, working on nematode-trapping fungi. After her doctorate she took over responsibility for the department of
microbial ecology
Microbial ecology (or environmental microbiology) is the ecology of microorganisms: their relationship with one another and with their environment. It concerns the three major domains of life— Eukaryota, Archaea, and Bacteria—as well as vi ...
, a position she held from 1975 until 1989. In 1987, she was promoted to professor at Lund University, and in 1989 she transitioned to an
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 ...
position. She was the first female professor at the natural science faculty at Lund University.
Research
Nordbring-Hertz's research mainly dealt with a type of
microfungi Microfungi or micromycetes are fungi—eukaryotic organisms such as molds, mildews and rusts—which have microscopic spore-producing structures. They exhibit tube tip-growth and have cell walls composed of chitin, a polymer of ''N''-acetylgluco ...
, so-called
nematophagous fungi
Nematophagous fungi are carnivorous fungi specialized in trapping and digesting nematodes. Around 160 species are known. There exist both species that live inside the nematodes from the beginning and others that catch them, mostly with glue tr ...
, that infect and digest nematodes. She concentrated on the nematode-trapping fungus '' Arthrobotrys oligospora''. Nordbring-Hertz used scanning electron microscopy to study the trapping organs of ''A. oligospora.'' Her early research was concentrated on how trapping organs were induced, apart from nematode touching the
hypha
A hypha (; ) is a long, branching, filamentous structure of a fungus, oomycete, or actinobacterium. In most fungi, hyphae are the main mode of vegetative growth, and are collectively called a mycelium.
Structure
A hypha consists of one o ...
e also chemically by small
peptide
Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. ...
s will induce trap formation. Her work was later focussed on specific recognition mechanisms, e.g. by
lectin
Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are highly specific for sugar groups that are part of other molecules, so cause agglutination of particular cells or precipitation of glycoconjugates and polysaccharides. Lectins have a role in rec ...
s (
carbohydrate
In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or ...
-binding
glycoprotein
Glycoproteins are proteins which contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to amino acid side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as g ...
s) on the trap surface that recognise specific carbohydrates on the nematode surface and start the infection process. Her research also examined volatile exudates from nematodes, the fungal plant pathogen '' Verticillium dahliae'', and quantifying the presence of the fungus in soil ecosystems.
Selected publications
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Personal life
Nordbring-Hertz married in 1953 to a professor in electrical measurement technology, Hellmuth Hertz, and they had two sons, Thomas and
Hans Hertz
Hans Martin Hertz, born 22 August 1955, is a Swedish physicist and professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Biography
Hertz was born in Lund, Sweden, to Carl Hellmuth Hertz and his wife Birgit Nordbring. He is the grandson of Gustav Lu ...