Allene Jeanes

Allene Jeanes
Black and white image of a woman with white hair wearing a black coat and white scarf tied in a bow.
Born
Allene Rosalind Jeanes

(1906-07-19)July 19, 1906
DiedDecember 11, 1995(1995-12-11) (aged 89)
EducationUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
OccupationChemist
Known forDeveloping Dextran

Allene Rosalind Jeanes (July 19, 1906 – December 11, 1995) was an American chemist whose pioneering work significantly impacted carbohydrate chemistry. Born in 1906 in Texas, Jeanes' notable contributions include the development of Dextran, a lifesaving blood plasma substitute used in the Korean and Vietnam wars, and Xanthan gum, a polysaccharide commonly used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Jeanes' innovations have had a lasting influence on medical treatments and everyday consumer products, highlighting her role as a key figure in applied carbohydrate science.[1] Her achievements earned her numerous accolades, including being the first woman to receive the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

  1. ^ "How Allene Jeanes Saved Lives and Revolutionized the Food Industry | National Inventors Hall of Fame®". www.invent.org. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.