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Lydia Villa-Komaroff
Definition
Lydia Villa-Komaroff is a scientist who helped to develop a way to make insulin from bacteria. Insulin is a hormone that helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels.
Villa-Komaroff was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1947. She studied chemistry at Goucher College and then went on to get her PhD in molecular biology from MIT.
After graduating from MIT, Villa-Komaroff worked as a researcher at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. In 1980, she was part of a team that developed a way to make insulin from bacteria.
Villa-Komaroff's work has helped to make insulin more affordable and accessible to people with diabetes. She is a role model for young scientists, especially girls and women of colour.
How can the word be used?
Lydia Villa-Komaroff is a molecular and cellular biologist.
Different forms of the word
There are no different forms of the word "Lydia Villa-Komaroff" because it is a proper noun. A proper noun is the name of a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalised.
Etymology
The name "Lydia Villa-Komaroff" is a compound name, made up of three words:
Lydia: A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "woman from Lydia".
Villa: A habitational surname of Italian origin, meaning "of the village".
Komaroff: A surname of Russian origin, meaning "little gnat".
Question
What is Lydia Villa-Komaroff famous for?