The Science Museum of the University of Navarra has produced a new video in the series "Women in Science", an initiative that aims to highlight the professional careers of some leading women scientists who are unknown to the general public. In this new installment the protagonist is Lynn Margulis, American biologist, scientific author, educator and popularizer who revolutionized evolution with her theory of symbiosis.

Lynn Margulis was born in Chicago in 1938. From a very young age she was a brilliant student and at only 20 years of age she received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Chicago. Years later she majored in Zoology and Genetics at the University of Wisconsin and received her PhD in Genetics from the University of California-Berkeley.

Lynn's research revolved around the study of bacteria - their relationship and evolution - and he had to contend with the scientific community that thought they were pathogenic and dangerous organisms.

Margulis found the solution to the enigma of the origin of eukaryotic cells (cells with nucleus found in animals, plants and fungi), proposing that these cells appear as a consequence of the symbiosis of other simpler cells without nucleus (prokaryotes) and emphasizing the importance of cooperation over competition in the evolutionary process. According to Lynn Margulis "The pact is symbiosis, in the end no one wins or loses, but there is a recombination. Something new is built".

In 1966, after many failed attempts, Lynn Margulis succeeded in publishing her first paper on the origin of eukaryotes and, subsequently, a book with all her research.

Woman scientist, fighter and with a critical spirit

Margolis will be recognized for bringing a different view to pre-established science and suggesting new scientific contributions to the discipline of biology. Some colleagues cited her work as an example of the researcher's excellence, considering her a theorist who removed the limits of biological thought with suggestive hypotheses.

Despite an initial resistance to her research, Lynn Margulis achieved a large number of recognitions such as, for example, membership in the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (1983). In May 1998, she was also elected to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. And since 1973, the Life Sciences Division of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has funded her research for decades.

Margulis had a tolerant and open attitude to defend her ideas before the scientific community and when she was asked about the role of women in science she categorically stated: "I do not talk about women or for women: it is too limited".

 "Women in Science" is an initiative of the Science Museum of the University of Navarra -funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) / Ministry of Science and Innovation-with the collaboration of the Women for Science and Technology group of the University of Navarra. This outreach project is part of the Science Museum's STEM strategy to make the teaching of subjects related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics more attractive, especially among girls and young women.