Dorothy Maud Wrinch

Dorothy Maud Wrinch (12 September 1894 – 11 February 1976) was an English mathematician and biochemical theorist, best known for her attempt to deduce protein structure using mathematical principles. She was a champion of the controversial 'cyclol' hypothesis for the structure of proteins. Born in Rosario, Argentina, Wrinch returned to England and studied mathematics at Girton College, Cambridge. She was influenced by Bertrand Russell and attended meetings of the Heretics Club. After graduating, she pursued graduate studies in applied mathematics and began teaching at University College London. She earned an MSc and a DSc from the University of London. In 1922, she married mathematical physicist John William Nicholson, with whom she had a daughter, Pamela. Wrinch published extensively on pure and applied mathematics, as well as scientific methodology. From around 1932, she shifted her focus to theoretical biology, becoming a founder of the Biotheoretical Gathering. Her 'cyclol' hypothesis for protein structure was highly controversial and faced criticism from chemists like Linus Pauling. Despite the controversy, her work, including collaborations with Irving Langmuir, helped catalyze the understanding of the hydrophobic effect in protein folding. In 1939, Wrinch moved to the United States, holding teaching positions at several Massachusetts colleges before retiring from Smith College in 1971. She married Otto Charles Glaser in 1941. Wrinch died in Falmouth, Massachusetts, in 1976. She is remembered as a brilliant and controversial figure who contributed to the early research in molecular biology.