Debate in science: microscope and roots, five stories of Argentine scientists who investigate in the country

Debate in science: microscope and roots, five stories of Argentine scientists who investigate in the country

Nations that bet heavily on Knowledge, technology and science can progress. In addition Knowledge-based societies generate greater awareness of Science and technology as a key element to value and optimize the use of the goods, products and services they generate and consume.

That challenge involves training citizenry committed to greater intellectual and academic skills to face the changes that societies face, before the Advancement of new technologies, which must be used to generate More value and well-being general.

In that virtuous circle, it is where the scientists, technicians, engineers and people working in the sciences They are essential in a country, generating knowledge, training more professionals and expanding human and capital capacities to generate more progress.

Infobae reviewed the advances that a handful of 5 Argentine scientists They achieved through their decision to stay in the country, invest time and contribute to national growth and research. All of them have also achieved a wide international impact for the achievements of their research.

Originally from Lanús, province of Buenos Aires, Andrea Gamarnik She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires and completed her postdoctoral training in Virology in the United States. Her training and experience position her as one of the most authoritative voices in the field of virology in Argentina and in the world.

The outstanding biochemist and virologist Gamarnik has received new recognition for his invaluable contribution to the field of science in Argentina. She was distinguished as “Researcher of the Argentine Nation 2022”, an honor that highlights his career and significant contribution to the field of science, technology and innovation in the country. This distinction not only recognizes his work in the academic and research field, but also his leadership at critical moments.

In May 2020, In the midst of a pandemic, Gamarnik headed the team of scientists who presented the CovidAr, the first Argentine test to detect the immune response to the coronavirus.

This achievement demonstrated the capacity and resilience of the Argentine scientific community to respond to global challenges with local solutions.

But Gamarnik’s achievements are not limited to the recent pandemic. In 2009, she was awarded the L’Oréal UNESCO Prize for Women in Science, thanks to his research on the molecular mechanisms of the dengue virus.

And in 2016, received again this prestigious international award for his studies on the dengue fever, consolidating her position as one of the country’s leading scientists.

Agnes Camilloni is an outstanding scientist Specialized in climate change with a trajectory that has taken her from the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo in Buenos Aires to the prestigious Harvard University.

Her passion for physics and mathematics led her towards meteorology, seeking to understand how human actions affect the climate and, in turn, how it impacts people’s lives.

Throughout his career, Camilloni has been lead author of the Fifth Assessment Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and has worked on the development of climate scenarios for the twenty-first century. In addition, he has been a resident at the Solar Geoengineering Research Program at Harvard University and a member of the World Commission on Ethics in Scientific Knowledge and Technology (Comest) of UNESCO.

One of his most recent projects focuses on solar geoengineering, A technological alternative that seeks to reflect more solar energy back into space to reduce the temperature of the planet. This line of research, which has been his focus for the last four years, is based on An analogy with volcanic eruptions that, by releasing small particles llBeloved aerosols to the stratosphere, generate an effect of greater reflection of sunlight.

Camilloni is aware of gender gaps in scientific research and highlights the importance of women as agents of change in terms of adaptation and mitigation in the face of global warming.

Emphasizes that Women, especially those from marginalized communities, are more vulnerable to climate change. However, she sees this vulnerability as a driving force for action: “We are the most vulnerable to climate change, but we identify the threat and understand that the only solution is urgent action.”

With a calm and patient voice, Camilloni is dedicated to explaining complex issues and generating environmental awareness. Faced with those who deny climate change, it responds with data and scientific evidence, with the scientific method being its main tool.

The renowned Argentine infectologist, Fernando Polack has emerged as a key figure in the global fight against COVID-19. Polack has underlined the importance of coronavirus prevention and control, stating that, thanks to scientific advances and public health measures, it was possible to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Argentine doctor led the trials of the Pfizer vaccine against COVID in our country. In 2002, he transformed a nightclub, the Red Bar, into a medical laboratory. This space, once filled with music and dance, became the epicenter of crucial investigations. Polack, who at the time worked as a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, The U.S. founded the Infant Foundation In that place, dedicated to investigating the most serious respiratory diseases in children.

Polack’s trajectory is not limited to the current pandemic. He is a world expert on respiratory syncytial virus, The main cause of lung infections in babies. This virus kills about 120,000 children a year. But with the outbreak of COVID-19, Polack and his team found themselves on the front line, leading two of the most decisive clinical trials: one that showed that the Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective and another that suggests that blood plasma from recovered patients can be a good treatment if given early.

The news of the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine it was a moment of jubilation for Polack. He remembers the morning when, while drinking coffee, he received a call informing him 95% effective. “Stop fucking around! What are you saying?” was his initial reaction. And, as he points out, Respiratory vaccines usually have an efficacy that does not exceed 60%. No one, not even at Pfizer, dreamed of 95%.

But Polack isn’t just a scientist; He is a visionary with a deep social commitment. It is applying innovative techniques, such as Minimally invasive autopsy, in the poorest neighborhoods of Buenos Aires to determine the causes of death in children. Its objective is clear: to understand and combat the diseases that affect the most vulnerable populations.

Fernando Polack It’s not just a doctor or a researcher; is a pioneer who has dedicated his life to fighting diseases, from those most common in babies to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Their work and dedication are a testament to what science and passion can achieve together.

In the vast panorama of Argentine science, Gabriel Rabinovich He stands out not only for his academic brilliance, but also for his ability to dream and turn those dreams into tangible realities. This immunologist and glycobiologist, A native of Córdoba and trained at the public university, he has left an indelible mark on scientific research, especially in the study of protein. Galectin-1 (Gal-1)one Key molecule in the fight against cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Since his early days at the National University of Córdoba, Rabinovich has demonstrated an unwavering passion for science. In 1993, he identified a protein that silences activated T lymphocytes, crucial cells of the immune system. This discovery was just the beginning of a series of investigations that culminated in the creation of Galtec, a research center dedicated to developing Gal-1-based therapies that presented this week.

If we can dream it, we can achieve it” Rabinovich said in an interview with Infobae, underlining the importance of research and collaboration. His philosophy is based on rigorous research, always looking for the connection between the laboratory and real life. No wonder his findings have been featured in renowned scientific journals, such as Cell and Nature.

Rabinovich’s path as a researcher has not been without challenges. However, his determination and vision have led him to be considered. one of Argentina’s most influential scientists. His work has been endorsed by colleagues and mentors, and has inspired generations of young researchers to follow in his footsteps.

Today, Rabinovich remains a strong advocate of science and innovation. With Galtec, seeks to transform scientific discoveries into real therapeutic solutions for patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases. His legacy is a testament to the power of science to change lives and the crucial role researchers play in advancing humanity.

The outstanding scientist Adrian Turjansky He obtained his Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina in 1999, and then his PhD in Biophysics in 2003. He carried out postdoctoral studies in the area of molecular modeling from 2003 to 2005 at the Department of Physiology and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

Later did postdoctoral work in Bioinformatics as a Latin American Pew Fellow 2005 at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States. In 2008 he returned to Argentina to direct the Structural Bioinformatics Laboratory, at the Faculty of Sciences of the UBA.

Turjansky is part of the research team of the National Council of Research and Technology (CONICET) and has very good memories of his beginnings there. “I started working at CONICET, first as a doctoral fellow, where we had found a molecule that had many properties, including improving hair. Then I went to train abroad and when I returned I was able to put together several things at the national level that were impacting over the years, “said the expert to Infobae.

Turjansky is also Professor of Bioinformatics at the UBA since 2008. In 2013 he was appointed director of the National Bioinformatics Platform and in 2015 Coordinator of the CELFI-DATOS Centre, which is dedicated to the development of interdisciplinarity in data analysis. “My research is focused on the development of bioinformatic tools to understand the genome and how the observed variants can affect the functioning of an organism. In 2015 he co-founded BITGENIA, a precision medicine company.

“We put together a national platform for analyzing data that came from DNA for the design of new therapies. We made the first diagnosis of a boy with autism in Argentina. Diagnosing people with DNA-dependent diseases that affect 3.2 million Argentines is costly, and were made only abroad and could only be accessed by people who had the right contacts or who could travel. In that sense, we made the first diagnosis of a boy with autism with a public hospital and that showed that we had the technology and all that was done thanks to the knowledge of CONICET experts in genomics, bioinformatics and working with researchers in hospitals, “said the specialist.

“Then we thought of a company that could also export these services to all of Latin America, since there were no Latin American companies doing that at that time and everything was derived to the United States or Europe. With the help of the Ministry of Science we started the first genomic data analysis company, which is BITGENIA, and the first thing we did with the help we received was obviously to improve all our services, but the most important thing was that we went out to offer free diagnosis to 100 children from public hospitals, with doctors from public hospitals who obviously could not afford that service in the United States and who could be diagnosed, “he added.

These people have enfermedades that are disabling, that generate a lot of problems, that have to be going around from hospital to hospital for years and the diagnosis time on average is 7 years, “he stressed and acknowledged that from there, his services were recognized.

The company began exporting to other countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Peru and since then more than 10,000 children have been diagnosed. “We created a genetic test for the prevention of diseases that today is used by more than 3,000 people. That impacted more than 50,000 people. Directly in families that otherwise would not have accessed these services, because they are extremely expensive services. At the same time we generate foreign exchange by exporting abroad And all this arises from the decision to invest in a researcher from the CONICET that he got to work, that he saw how to develop, that he took advantage of everything he learned at the university and then outside to change the lives of Argentines on a day-to-day basis,” concluded the DNA specialist.

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