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Handbook of Maize pp 17–52Cite as

Barbara McClintock

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Barbara McClintock, pioneering plant geneticist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983, is best known for her discovery of transposable genetic elements in corn. This chapter provides an overview of many of her key findings, some of which have been outlined and described elsewhere. We also provide a new look at McClintock's early contributions, based on our readings of her primary publications and documents found in archives. We expect the reader will gain insight and appreciation for Barbara McClintock's unique perspective, elegant experiments and unprecedented scientific achievements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

    Lee B. Kass

  2. Monsanto Co., Mystic, CT

    Paul Chomet

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  1. Lee B. Kass
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  2. Paul Chomet
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602–7223, USA

    Jeffrey L. Bennetzen

  2. USDA Plant Gene Expression Center, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA, 94710, USA

    Sarah Hake

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Kass, L.B., Chomet, P. (2009). Barbara McClintock. In: Bennetzen, J.L., Hake, S. (eds) Handbook of Maize. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77863-1_2

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