Margarita Salas
Spanish biochemist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Margarita Salas?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Margarita Salas Falgueras, 1st Marchioness of Canero (30 November 1938 – 7 November 2019) was a Spanish scientist, medical researcher, and author in the fields of biochemistry and molecular genetics.
Margarita Salas | |
---|---|
Born | (1938-11-30)30 November 1938 |
Died | 7 November 2019(2019-11-07) (aged 80) Madrid, Spain |
Alma mater | Complutense University of Madrid |
Known for | Studies of molecular genetics and discovery of Φ29 DNA polymerase |
Spouse | |
Awards | Premio México de Ciencia y Tecnología (1998) European Inventor Award (2019) |
Scientific career | |
Doctoral advisor | Alberto Sols |
Seat i of the Real Academia Española | |
In office 4 June 2003[lower-alpha 1] – 7 November 2019 | |
Preceded by | José García Nieto |
Succeeded by | Paloma Díaz-Mas |
She started developing molecular biology in Spain and also worked as an honorary associate professor of CSIC, at the Severo Ochoa Biology Center (UAM). In 2016 she became the first women ever to receive the Echegaray Medal, that was given to her by the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences (Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales).
Salas' discovery of the bacterial virus Φ29 DNA polymerase was recognized by the Spanish National Research Council as the highest-grossing patent in Spain.[1][2] Her cumulative work, as described by The Local in 2019, "invented a faster, simpler and more reliable way to replicate trace amounts of DNA into quantities large enough for full genomic testing."[3]
She was the first scientific woman ever elected to the Royal Spanish Academy.[4] Shortly before her death, she was awarded the 2019 European Inventor Award. Salas was raised into the Spanish nobility by King Juan Carlos I in Summer 2008 with the hereditary title of Marquesa de Canero. Throughout her career in academia, she advised more than 40 doctoral students and published over 200 scientific articles. She was an outspoken advocate of women and feminism in science.[5]