Guido Pontecorvo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guido Pontecorvo
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Guido Pontecorvo, from his years at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, 1968-80
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| Born | 29 November 1907 Pisa, Italy
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| Died | 25 September 1999 (aged 91) |
| Citizenship | Italy, United Kingdom |
| Relatives | Gillo Pontecorvo (brother) Bruno Pontecorvo (brother) Marco Pontecorvo (nephew) |
| Awards | Mendel Medal (1979) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Genetics |
| Institutions | University of Glasgow, Imperial Cancer Research Fund |
| Doctoral students | Obaid Siddiqi |
Guido Pontecorvo was a very important geneticist born in Italy. He later became a Scottish citizen. He lived from 1907 to 1999 and made big discoveries in how genes work.
Contents
Guido Pontecorvo's Life Journey
Early Life and Family
Guido Pontecorvo was born in Pisa, Italy, on November 29, 1907. He came from a large family with seven brothers and sisters. His brothers Gillo Pontecorvo and Bruno Pontecorvo also became well-known in their own fields.
Moving to Britain
In 1938, Guido lost his job in Florence because of his Jewish background. To find safety, he moved to Britain in 1939 with his wife, Leonore Freyenmuth.
Where Guido Pontecorvo Worked
Guido Pontecorvo worked at several important places during his career:
- From 1938 to 1940, and again from 1944 to 1945, he worked at the Institute of Animal Genetics at the University of Edinburgh.
- From 1941 to 1944, he was at the Department of Zoology at the University of Glasgow.
- He then joined the Department of Genetics at the University of Glasgow in 1945. He became a professor there from 1956 to 1968.
- From 1966 to 1968, he was also the Honorary Director of the MRC Unit of Cell Genetics.
- Later, from 1968 to 1975, he was a research staff member at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.
- He continued as an Honorary Consultant Geneticist at the ICRF from 1975 to 1980.
Awards and Recognition
Guido Pontecorvo was recognized for his important work. In 1946, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. This is a special honor for scientists in Scotland. In 1955, he was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is one of the oldest and most respected scientific organizations in the world.
Later Years and Passing
After retiring from the University of Glasgow in 1968, Pontecorvo lived and worked in London. He passed away on September 25, 1999, while on holiday in Saint-Luc, Switzerland. He is buried there with his wife and daughter.
Guido Pontecorvo's Legacy
Pontecorvo Building
In 1995, the Institute of Genetics building at the University of Glasgow was renamed the Pontecorvo Building. This was done to honor Guido Pontecorvo and celebrate 50 years of genetics research at the university. The building is located in Glasgow's West End. It has been empty since 2011, but it used to have one of the few working paternoster elevators in the UK.
Pontecorvo Award
Guido Pontecorvo's name also lives on through the annual Pontecorvo Award. This award is given to the final-year university student in the genetics department who achieves the highest grades.
