Chicita Frances Culberson (born Chicita Frances Forman, November 1, 1931, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

– March 5, 2023, in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

) was an American lichenologist.

Education

Culberson grew up on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

while her father worked as a surgeon in nearby

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. She graduated with a B.S. from the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

in 1953, where she also met her future husband, Bill Culberson. In 1954, she received an M.S. from the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, where her research involved using a radioactive nickel tracer to study the physical and chemical processes of the electrodeposition of metal on a

cathode A cathode is the electrode from which a conventional current leaves a polarized electrical device such as a lead-acid battery. This definition can be recalled by using the mnemonic ''CCD'' for ''Cathode Current Departs''. Conventional curren ...

. In 1959 she received a Ph.D. from

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

, focusing on the

synthesis Synthesis or synthesize may refer to: Science Chemistry and biochemistry *Chemical synthesis, the execution of chemical reactions to form a more complex molecule from chemical precursors **Organic synthesis, the chemical synthesis of organi ...

of bicyclic

monoterpene Monoterpenes are a class of terpenes that consist of two isoprene units and have the molecular formula C10H16. Monoterpenes may be linear (acyclic) or contain rings (monocyclic and bicyclic). Modified terpenes, such as those containing oxygen func ...

s related to

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (''Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapu ...

Career

After earning her Ph.D., Culberson held a two-year NSF-funded research associateship in Chemistry at Duke before joining the Department of Botany as a Senior Research Associate. Over her 50+ year career at Duke, she held various titles including Senior Research Associate, Lecturer, Adjunct Professor, and Research Professor. A botanical researcher at Duke University, Culberson pioneered the use of

thin-layer chromatography Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a chromatography technique that separates components in non-volatile mixtures. It is performed on a TLC plate made up of a non-reactive solid coated with a thin layer of adsorbent material. This is called the sta ...

in the identification of secondary

lichen product Lichen products, also known as lichen substances, are organic compounds produced by a lichen. Specifically, they are secondary metabolites. Lichen products are represented in several different chemical classes, including terpenoids, orcinol deri ...

s, developing a standardized method that is still used today. She later refined this method and supplemented it with

high-performance liquid chromatography High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), formerly referred to as high-pressure liquid chromatography, is a technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify, and quantify specific components in mixtures. The mixtures can origin ...

(HPLC). In 1969, Culberson published "Chemical and Botanical Guide to Lichen Products", a major work summarizing all published knowledge of

secondary metabolite Secondary metabolites, also called ''specialised metabolites'', ''secondary products'', or ''natural products'', are organic compounds produced by any lifeform, e.g. bacteria, archaea, fungi, animals, or plants, which are not directly involved ...

s made by lichens. She also produced two supplements to this guide. Culberson's research focused on characterizing

chemotype A chemotype (sometimes chemovar) is a chemically distinct entity in a plant or microorganism, with differences in the composition of the secondary metabolites. Minor genetic and epigenetic changes with little or no effect on morphology or anatomy ...

s, proposing

biosynthetic pathway In biochemistry, a metabolic pathway is a linked series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. The reactants, products, and intermediates of an enzymatic reaction are known as metabolites, which are modified by a sequence of chemical re ...

s of lichen secondary metabolites, and studying

gene flow In population genetics, gene flow (also known as migration and allele flow) is the transfer of genetic variation, genetic material from one population to another. If the rate of gene flow is high enough, then two populations will have equivalent ...

between chemotypes. She developed skills in culturing single spore isolates and analyzing them with HPLC to search for evidence of gene flow between chemotypes.

Personal life

Culberson was married to fellow lichenologist Bill Culberson from 1953, until his death in 2003. Culberson died on March 3, 2023, at Croasdaile Village, a senior adult community in Durham, North Carolina.

Legacy

Culberson's work significantly contributed to the growth and value of the lichen collection at Duke University. The W. L. & C. F. Lichen Herbarium and Library at Duke, named in honor of the Culbersons, contains an estimated 14,000 specimens analyzed by Chicita out of a total of 108,000 specimens. Her perspective on chemical stability versus morphological variability in lichens influenced many other lichenologists.

Recognition

In 1992, Culberson became one of the first modern recipients of the

Acharius Medal __NOTOC__ The Acharius Medal is awarded by the International Association for Lichenology (IAL) for lifetime achievement in lichenology. The organization resolved at its 1990 meeting that it would simultaneously honor professional achievement and ...

. Culberson was a lifelong member of both the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all ...

and the

American Bryological and Lichenological Society The American Bryological and Lichenological Society is an organization devoted to the scientific study of all aspects of the biology of bryophytes and lichen-forming fungi and is one of the nation's oldest botanical organizations. It was original ...

, serving as President of the latter from 1996–1997. In 2006, she received the Botanical Society of America's Centennial Award for "exemplary service to the plant sciences". In 2022, she was made an honorary lifetime member of the

British Lichen Society The British Lichen Society (BLS) was founded in 1958 with the objective of promoting the study and conservation of lichen. Although the society was founded in London, UK, it is of relevance to lichens worldwide. It has been a registered charity ...

for her outstanding contributions to research on lichen secondary metabolites. At the 9th

International Association for Lichenology The International Association for Lichenology (IAL) is an organisation that encourages the understanding of lichens and lichenology, and promotes their study and conservation worldwide. It unites lichenologists across the globe, as well as nation ...

conference held virtually in Brazil on 4 August 2021, the lichen chemistry symposium was dedicated to Culberson for her 90th birthday.

Eponymy

In 2000, the lichenologist Theodore Esslinger

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

'' Culbersonia'', which is a fungal

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the family

Caliciaceae The Caliciaceae are a family (taxonomy), family of mostly lichen-forming fungus, fungi belonging to the class (taxonomy), class Lecanoromycetes in the division (mycology), division Ascomycota. Although the family has had its classification chan ...

and named in Bill Culberson and Chicita F. Culberson's honor, his "longtime friends and mentors". The lichen genus '' Chicitaea'', proposed in 2024, honors Culberson "for her foundational, pioneering and lifelong contributions to the fields of lichen chemistry and lichen taxonomy".

Sources

Biography of Dr Culberson
at Lichenology.org

External links

Dr Culberson's faculty page
at

Partial bibliography of Dr Culberson's research
at

Scientific Commons ScientificCommons was a project of the University of St. Gallen ''Institute for Media and Communications Management''. The major aim of the project was to develop the world’s largest archive of scientific knowledge with fulltexts freely accessi ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Culberson, Chicita F. 1931 births 2023 deaths Scientists from Philadelphia University of Cincinnati alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Duke University faculty American women botanists American lichenologists Acharius Medal recipients 21st-century American botanists American women academics 21st-century American women scientists Women lichenologists