Clodomiro Picado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clodomiro Picado
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Dr. Picardo holding a snake
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Clodomiro Picado Twight
April 17, 1887 |
| Died | May 16, 1944 |
Clodomiro Picado Twight (born April 17, 1887 – died May 16, 1944) was a famous scientist from Costa Rica. He was also known as "Clorito Picado". Even though he was born in Nicaragua, he became a very important Costa Rican researcher.
Dr. Picado was one of the first people to study snakes and their venoms. He is famous around the world for creating different types of antivenins. These are medicines that help people who have been bitten by venomous snakes.
He also did important work with molds. His research on molds happened before the official discovery of penicillin. He even used his mold-based compounds to treat patients about a year before Alexander Fleming rediscovered penicillin. Dr. Picado wrote more than 115 scientific papers and books during his life.
Early Life and Education
Clodomiro Picado was born in San Marcos, Nicaragua. When he was just three years old, in 1890, he moved to Costa Rica with his parents.
In 1908, Picado won a special scholarship from the Costa Rican Congress. This scholarship allowed him to go to Paris, France, to study at the university.
He finished his studies in 1913 at La Sorbonne, a very famous university in Paris. There, he earned degrees in zoology (the study of animals) and botany (the study of plants). He also earned a doctorate degree.
After finishing his studies, he returned to Costa Rica in the same year. He became the head of the laboratory at the San Juan de Dios Hospital. At the same time, he also taught science classes at the San Luis Gónzaga School in Cartago city.
Discoveries and Penicillin
Many people know that Sir Alexander Fleming, a scientist from Scotland, discovered the antibacterial effects of a fungus called Penicillium notatum in 1928. This discovery led to penicillin, a very important medicine.
However, in March 2000, some doctors in Costa Rica found notebooks belonging to Dr. Picado. These notebooks showed his experiments from 1915 to 1927. In them, he clearly explained how Penicillium mold could stop bacteria from growing.
Picado had even shared his work with the French Academy of Sciences in France. But his findings were not officially recognized or patented at that time. This happened even though he had studied the fungus years before Fleming.
Because of his early research, Dr. Picado is now seen as one of the scientists who helped pave the way for the discovery of penicillin. He published his findings about treating patients with penicillin in 1927. This was done through the Biology Society of Paris.
Investigations and Findings
Dr. Picado was a very active and wide-ranging scientist. It is believed that he wrote about 115 research papers during his life. He studied almost everything around him. This included soil, plants, animals, human body parts, and water.
His work covered many different topics. These included zoology, botany (especially bromeliads), ophidism (the study of snakebites), physiology (how living things work), plant diseases, and microbiology (the study of tiny living things). He also studied immunology, which is about how the body fights off diseases.
One of Dr. Picado's most important studies was on creating different anti-venom serums. These serums are used to treat snakebites. His work in this area was so important that a special research center was named after him.
This center is called the Instituto Clodomiro Picado. It was created in 1970 and is part of the University of Costa Rica. The institute continues to do research in Toxicology (the study of poisons), Herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians), and Immunology. It also produces anti-venom, helping many people.
See also
In Spanish: Clodomiro Picado Twight para niños
