Joyful Microbe25 Okt 2025

Sharing the Story of Agar and Fanny Angelina Hesse: Dr. Corrado Nai

Agar is a crucial tool used daily in most microbiologists’ work. It’s the stuff that goes in Petri dishes for microbes to grow on. But many microbiologists are unaware of how this substance became so important in the field. A woman named Fanny Angelina Hesse played a significant role in this story, yet she remains largely unknown in microbiology. Dr. Corrado Nai is making it his mission to change this. In this episode, we chat about how he’s writing a graphic novel on the untold story of how Fanny Angelina Hesse introduced agar to the lab, and why it matters.

Topics covered in this episode:

How Corrado got interested in microbiology, became a science writer, and is now creating a graphic novel about Fanny Angelina Hesse
What agar is how microbiologists use it
The story of Fanny Angelina Hesse and how agar became so important in microbiology
How little-known Fanny Angelina Hesse is
New historical material Corrado uncovered
The upcoming graphic novel about Fanny Angelina Hesse
At-home microbiology activity: Discovering the Microbial World: Create Your Own Agar Plates

JOYFUL MICROBE SHOW NOTES: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/fanny-hesse-corrado-nai/

AT-HOME MICROBIOLOGY ACTIVITY: https://joyfulmicrobe.com/create-agar-plates/

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