Agar is a crucial tool used daily in most microbiologists’ work. It’s the stuff that goes in Petri dishes for microbes to grow on. But many microbiologists are unaware of how this substance became so important in the field. A woman named Fanny Angelina Hesse played a significant role in this story, yet she remains largely unknown in microbiology. Dr. Corrado Nai is making it his mission to change this. In this episode, we chat about how he’s writing a graphic novel on the untold story of how Fanny Angelina Hesse introduced agar to the lab, and why it matters.
Topics covered in this episode:
- How Corrado got interested in microbiology, became a science writer, and is now creating a graphic novel about Fanny Angelina Hesse
- What agar is how microbiologists use it
- The story of Fanny Angelina Hesse and how agar became so important in microbiology
- How little-known Fanny Angelina Hesse is
- New historical material Corrado uncovered
- The upcoming graphic novel about Fanny Angelina Hesse
- At-home microbiology activity: Discovering the Microbial World: Create Your Own Agar Plates
Listen to my episode with Dr. Corrado Nai
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Links & Resources
- Joyful Microbe Article on Fanny Hess: Angelina Fanny Hesse: The Story of Agar and Microbiology
- At-home microbiology activity: Discovering the Microbial World: Create Your Own Agar Plates
- Fanny Hesse Graphic Novel
- Graphic Novel trailer
- Corrado’s Smithsonian Magazine Article on Fanny Hesse
- Corrado’s Patreon – see exclusive previews of the graphic novel — join with 30% off the first month using the discount code JOYFUL-DESSERT
Connect with Dr. Corrado Nai
Dr. Corrado Nai is a science writer with a PhD in microbiology and full-time-parenting dad living in Indonesia. He has written for New Scientist, Smithsonian Magazine, Small Things Considered, The Microbiologist, and many others. He’s currently writing a graphic novel called “The Dessert that Changed the World” about the importance of growing microbes using agar thanks to unsung pioneer Fanny Angelina Hesse, who introduced agar to the laboratory. This graphic novel can be supported through Patreon. This project is supported by many folks, including the following: Story by Corrado Nai | Art by shog | Soundtrack by Carlos Bricio and with unparalleled help from Neelam Ayuningrum | Matteo Farinella | Elisa Granato | Regine Hengge | Frank Hesse | Benjamin Kuntz | Andrés Marcoleta & Team | Jens Notroff | Michael Sauer | Paola Scavone | Joanna Verran | Eliza Wolfson and many more.
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