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Personal information.
He was born in Asturias on November 30, 1938 and died on November 7, 2019. -
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Her Life
Margarita Salas Falgueras, I marquesa de Canero (November 30, 19381 – November 7, 20192 3), was a Spanish biochemist. Graduated in chemical sciences, she was a disciple of Severo Ochoa,4 with whom she worked in the United States after doing so with Alberto Sols in Madrid with fellow scientist Eladio Viñuela,5 both were in charge of boosting Spanish research in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. She began the development of molecular biology in Spain. -
Her adolescence.
At the age of sixteen he went to Madrid to carry out the chemical and medicine access tests. He entered the faculty of Chemistry and in the summer of 1958 met Severo Ochoa, who will influence his career and orient it towards biochemistry. He completed his doctorate with Alberto Sols. -
Her family
Margarita Salas was the daughter of Jose Salas, a physician who influenced her, encouraging her interest in the sciences, and Margarita Falgueras Gatell, a teacher. He had two brothers, also scientists: José Salas Figueras and María Luisa "Marisa" Salas Figueras. -
Scientific career (Early work)
After graduating in Chemical Sciences, Margarita Salas entered the laboratory of Alberto Sols, pioneer of biochemistry in Spain. Under Sols' direction, she completed her doctoral thesis on the anomeral specificity of glucose-6-phosphate isomerasa, and once completed, she went for four years (1963-1967) to the United States with her husband, to work as a researcher at the University of New York with Severo Ochoa. -
Scientific career (Early work) part2.
It was one of the best stages of his life from a scientific and cultural point of view. -
DNA polymerase of bacteriophage virus.
Among his greatest scientific contributions is the determination of the directionality of the reading of genetic information, during his time in the laboratory of Severo Ochoa, and the discovery and characterization of the DNA polymerase of the phage, which has biotechnological applications due to their very high DNA amplification capabilities. -
DNA polymerase of bacteriophage virus. part2.
She was an ad honorem professor at the Severo Ochoa Center for Molecular Biology, a mixed research center of the CSIC and the Autonomous University of Madrid, where she continued to work with the bacteriophage virus, which was very useful in biotechnology research and which infects a non-pathogenic bacterium, Bacillus subtilis. -
Scientific activity.
Margarita Salas' résumé vitae has more than three hundred and fifty publications in international magazines or books and about ten in national media. It also holds eight patents, and has held about four hundred conferences. -
Scientific activity.part2.
Among its most important scientific contributions are the determination that the reading of the genetic message takes place at address 5' to 3'; demonstration that p6, histone-type protein, cooperates with the p4 protein in the early promoter's repression A2c and in the activation of the late promoter A3;demonstration that the meaningless UAA triplet results in the termination of the polypeptide chain in an Escherichia coli system. -
Scientific activity.part3.
Escherichia coli; the discovery of a glucokinase specific to glucose phosphorylation in rat liver whose synthesis depends on insulin; and his research on the polymerase DNA of the bacteriophage virus. -
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Prizes
1994: King Jaime I Prize for Basic Research33
1997: Medal of the Principality of Asturias.10
1999: Santiago Ramón y Cajal National Research Award.10
2000: L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science34 10
2001: Elected among the 100 Women of the 20th century who opened the way to equality in the XXI century by the Council of Women of the Community of Madrid.10
2002: Isabel Ferrer Award of the Generalitat Valenciana.10
2002: Gold Medal of the Community of Madrid.10.10 -
Recognition
He belonged to several of the most prestigious national and international scientific societies and institutes, collaborating and being a member of the editorial board of important scientific publications. She has won several awards, being appointed European Researcher 1999 by Unesco and received the King James I Prize for Research in 1994. She was appointed director of the Institute of Spain (1995-2003), an organization that brings together the entire Spanish Academies. -
Recognition (2)
He presided over the Severo Ochoa11 Foundation and led annually the course of the School of Molecular Biology "Eladio Viñuela", within the summer courses of the Menéndez Pelayo International University in Santander. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, the Royal Spanish Academy, 12 of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, the American Society for Microbiology and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, among others. -
Recognition (3)
She was appointed a member of the Royal Spanish Academy in 2003, and censor of it in 2008.6. It has been distinguished with several streets in her honor: in 2006 a street in Gijón, in 2009 one in Arroyo de la Encomienda, and in 2011 another street in the Almería Science-Technological Park (PITA).10
In 2014 was selected by Quo magazine, in collaboration with the Higher Council for Scientific Research and the Higher Sports Council, for the first "Spanish Selection of Science", -
Bibliography
Hidalgo, Manuel (2002). Nosotras, biocientíficas españolas. -
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Prizes (2)
2003: Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise.10 35
2004: International Prize for Science and Research of the Cristóbalarrón Foundation.10
2005: Gold Medal of the Medal of Merit in Work.36
2005: Medal of Honor of the Complutense University of Madrid.10.10 -
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Prizes (3)
2006: Award for Excellence awarded by FEDEPE (Spanish Federation of Women Directives, Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs).37
Gold Medal of the Official College of Veterinarians of the Principality of Asturias.10
2008: XL Jiménez Díaz Memorial Award. Conchita Rábago Foundation. -
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Prizes (4)
2009: Title of Honorary Ambassador of the Spanish Brand, category of Sciences and Innovation, the Forum of Renowned Spanish Brands fails with the blessing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.38
2009: Women's Leader Award 2009, awarded by the Rafael del Pino Foundation, Aliter and Merck.39
2009: Mapfre Foundation's "All a Professional Life Award".40
2011: Progressive Women's Award, awarded by the Federation of Progressive Women.41 -
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Prizes (5)
2014: Award for Chemical Excellence, awarded by the General Council of Official Chemical Colleges of Spain.
2015: Madrid Woman's Week Women's and Science International Award, awarded by the Woman's Week Foundation.
2016: Echegaray Medal of the Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences.
2018: III Manchaarte Award.
2019: European Inventor Award 2019 in the Lifetime Achievement and Popular Prize category.
2019: Medal of Merit in Research and University Education, in his Gold category.
