Mariano Barbacid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mariano Barbacid
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| Born |
Mariano Barbacid Montalbán
4 October 1949 Madrid, Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Education | Biochemist |
| Alma mater | Universidad Complutense de Madrid |
| Occupation | Cancer researcher |
| Known for | Isolating the first oncogene |
Mariano Barbacid Montalbán (born on October 4, 1949, in Madrid, Spain) is a famous Spanish scientist. He is a molecular biochemist who made a very important discovery. He found the first oncogene called HRAS. Oncogenes are special genes that can cause cells to grow out of control, which can lead to cancer.
A Scientist's Journey
Mariano Barbacid studied chemical sciences at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain. After finishing his studies, he moved to the United States. There, he started as an intern, learning more about science.
Later, he became the director of the National Cancer Institute, which is a very important research center. After many years, he returned to Spain. He came back to lead a brand new center called the CNIO. This center focuses on finding new ways to fight cancer.
Amazing Discoveries
One of Mariano Barbacid's biggest achievements was finding the human oncogene HRAS. He found this gene in a type of cancer called bladder carcinoma. His discovery was published in a famous science magazine called Nature in 1982.
He continued his research and learned more about this oncogene. He found out that it was a changed version of a normal gene from the Ras subfamily. He also figured out how this changed gene could cause cancer.
In 2003, he made another important discovery. He showed that an enzyme called CDK2 was not always needed for cells to make copies of their DNA. Before this, scientists thought CDK2 was always essential for cells to divide.
Awards and Recognition
Mariano Barbacid's hard work and important discoveries have earned him many awards. These prizes recognize his contributions to science.
Some of his awards include:
- Distinguished Young Scientist Award (1983)
- King Juan Carlos I Science award (Spain, 1984)
- Rhodes Memorial Award (USA, 1985)
- Joseph Steiner Award (Switzerland, 1988)
- IPSEN Prize in neuronal plasticity (Austria, 1994)
- Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Cancer Prize (Switzerland, 2005)
- International Agency for Research on Cancer Medal of Honor (France, 2007)
- The Great Cross of the Order of 2 May (2011)
See also
In Spanish: Mariano Barbacid para niños
