Johanna Liesbeth Kubelka Dobereiner, Czech-born Brazilian agricultural microbiologist (Usti nad Labem 28 November 1924 – Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro State 05 October 2000)

Daughter of chemical engineer Paul Kubelka (1900-1956)

Authored over 500 scientific works 

ACHIEVEMENTS

First described association between nitrogen fixation bacteria and Graminae (1974)

With Von Bulow described the presence of  Spirillum-like bacteria in roots of maize plants (1975) 

Described association between nitrogen fixation bacteria and sugar cane (1988)

Introduced the endophyte concept to the field of biological nitrogen fixation (1992)

First to propose nitrogen-free semi-solid medium for isolating nitrogen-fixing bacteria (1973), developed the NFb (1975) and described it (1976)

METHODS

With V.M. Reis & F.L. Olivares. Improved methodology for isolation of Acetobacter diazotrophicus and confirmation of its endophytic habitat. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 10:401-5, 1994

With V.M. Reis, F.L. Olivares, A.L.M. Oliveira, F.B. Reis Jr & J.I. Baldani. Technical approaches to inoculate micropropagated sugar cane plants with Acetobacter diazotrophicus. Pl. Soil 296:205-11, 1999 

DESCRIBED NEW BACTERIA TAXA

Genera

Azospirillum 1979 with Tarrand & Krieg  

Herbaspirillum 1986 with Baldani, Baldani & Seldin

Species

Azorhizophilus paspali 1966

Azospirillum amazonense 1984 with Magalhães, Baldani, Souto & Kuykendal

Azospiriullum brasiliense 1979 with Tarrand & Krieg 

Beijerinckia fluminensis 1958 with Ruschel

Burkholderia brasiliensis 1997 with Baldani, Oliveira, Balota, Baldani & Kirchhof

Gluconacetobacter diazetrophicus 1988 with Gillis, Kersters, Hoste, Janssens et al.

Herbaspirillum seropedicae 1986 with Baldani, Baldani & Seldin

HONORS

Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Florida (1975)

Houssay Prize, OAS (1979)

Honor in the 12^th International Congress of Soil Science, New Delhi (1982)

UNESCO Science Prize (1989)

Mexico Award for Science & Technology (1992)

TWAS Medal & Lecture Award (1995)

20^th Century Award for Achievement (1997)

Chemistry Nobel Prize nominee (1997)