Mary Locke Petermann isolated and worked out the structure of animal ribosomes, organelles that are now known as the sites of protein synthesis in cells. She began her original investigation of the particles (for a time they were known as "Petermann's particles") because they were interfering with her studies of DNA and RNA. Her work was fundamental and pioneering; her continued work established the importance of ions in stabilizing ribosomes and elucidated ribosomal transformations.

Ribosomes are the organelle that are the site of protein synthesis in a cell. Petermann's research isolated several types of ribosomes and clarified their properties. She also pioneered the study of antibodies. This research later led to Rodney Porter winning a Nobel Prize in 1972 for his work on the structure of immunoglobulins.

Peterman was born in Laurium, Michigan, on February 25, 1908, one of three children and the only daughter of Albert Edward and Anna Mae...