Ella Tyree | |
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| Born | 13 March 1920  |
| Died | 2 February 1989 (aged 68) |
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Ella Burton Tyree (March 13, 1920-February 2, 1989) was an American medical researcher. She worked in the mid-twentieth century investigating effects of radiation poisoning in animals and potential treatments.
Tyree was born in Battle Creek, Michigan on March 13 1920. [1] Tyree attended Spelman College, graduated with a degree in physics in 1944. [2] [3] She also trained in biology. [4]
In 1941, Executive Order 8802 was passed to prevent discriminatory hiring practices in defense and many Black Americans sought work in government projects related to the Manhattan Project. The type of position varied according to education and training, but there were scientists, technicians, construction workers, domestic workers and janitors. In the Jim Crow era, these positions were an opportunity for higher, stable pay and for advancement. However, segregation and racist practices in housing were still common. [5]
Tyree became a laboratory technician at the Metallurgical Laboratory in Chicago during the Manhattan Project. She worked in the Health Division and managed the animal farm which supplied the researchers with subjects for radiation experiments. [6] In 1949, her team, led by Dr. Harvey M. Patt, reported that preemptively treating mice with cysteine provided protection from normally-lethal radiation doses. [7] They theorized that the amino acid could prevent damage to cells exposed to X-rays. The treatment could be delivered orally or by injection in the hour preceding radiation exposure, and led to approximate survival rates of 80% compared to 20% when untreated. It did not help after exposure. [8] In addition to the growing interest in radiation research from the perspective of atomic weapons, it was also seen as a potential aid in cancer treatments to protect surrounding areas from radiation damage when administering high radiation doses. [9]
Tyree died on February 2, 1989. [10]