Margarita Salas (1938–2019)

Obituary Margarita Salas (1938–2019)

Biochemist whose discoveries led to faster, more-accurate DNA testing.

argarita Salas discovered a new able to generate very large DNA fragments, mechanism for the replication of and it worked at a constant temperature in the DNA. The enzyme she isolated as lab, avoiding the need for shifts in temperature the key to it has transformed the as in PCR. Requiring only very small samples process of amplifying DNA from to generate many copies of whole genomes, Mvery small samples, and is now widely used in it proved ideal for forensic analysis, for the forensics, studies of ancient DNA and oncol- identification of mutations in tumours and ogy, as well as in basic research. Her invention, for genetic analysis of traces of DNA from the most profitable patent ever filed by the ancient bones. Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Salas and Blanco patented the enzyme, was recognized earlier this year by a lifetime and its commercial licensing has provided achievement award from the European Patent an important source of income for the Office. CSIC. Devoted to basic research, Salas was Salas, who died on 7 November, aged 80, also delighted that her work had led to this was central in bringing modern molecular important application. She was director of the biology to Spain. Coming of age during the CBMSO from 1992 to 1994, and continued to regime of General Francisco Franco, who work enthusiastically at experiments in her lab denied women an equal role in the workplace, until a few weeks before her death. she blazed a path for female scientists in her Salas was a courageous role model. She country. She was one of the first winners of the was the first woman to chair a big biomedical L’Oréal–UNESCO awards for women in science, research centre, to be president of the Span- and in 2008, King Juan Carlos I awarded her the ish Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

hereditary title of marquise, in recognition of Society, and the first to be elected to several TSANG/COVER/GETTY FRANCIS her impact on Spanish society. virus, the phage ϕ29. Salas discovered that academies. Salas was born in Canero, a small village in the linear, double-stranded DNA of the virus After receiving awards or when celebrating the Asturias region in the north of Spain, in had a specific protein attached at one end of an anniversary, Margarita, who was a shy per- 1938, in the middle of the Spanish Civil War. each strand. She found that this protein acts son with an austere lifestyle, would invite her Her mother was a schoolteacher; her father, as a starting point when the viral genome many current and former students to dinner at a physician, influenced her interest in sci- replicates. The mechanism also operates in a smart restaurant. Here, she would talk infor- ence. In 1955, she went to Madrid University some mammalian viruses, including those mally, about topics unrelated to science, from to study chemistry. In 1958, on a visit home, that infect humans, such as adenovirus and Bach’s music to modern Spanish literature, she had an inspirational meeting with a dis- hepatitis B virus. revealing her wide interest in culture. tant relative — the biochemist Severo Ochoa, Margarita conveyed her passion for who was awarded a Nobel prize the following “For generations of scientific research and the thrill of discovery to year. Fascinated by the emerging discoveries in her students, fostering their motivation, cre- biochemistry, Salas did a PhD on yeast metabo- Spanish scientists, she ativity, rigour and perseverance. She created lism in the laboratory of enzymologist Alberto was a guiding light.” a true school, teaching molecular biologists Sols in Madrid. There she met and married the from different places and of different origins biochemist Eladio Viñuela. how to conduct — and take joy in — research. In 1964, Salas and her husband were In 1977, Salas made her last academic Many of her trainees are now research leaders. accepted as postdoctoral fellows in Ochoa’s move — to the recently founded Severo Ochoa For generations of Spanish scientists, she lab at New York University. The lab was deci- Centre for Molecular Biology (CBMSO). The was a guiding light. We will miss her, her phering the mechanisms that transfer genetic centre brought together most of the leading mentorship and her leadership. information from DNA to protein — replica- research groups in molecular biology in Spain tion, transcription and translation. Salas in a joint institution of the CSIC and the Auton- Jesús Avila, Federico Mayor Jr and Lourdes contributed two key pieces of information. omous University of Madrid. Here, with her Ruiz-Desviat are at the Severo Ochoa Centre First, she found that these mechanisms read colleague Luis Blanco, Salas isolated the DNA for Molecular Biology, Madrid, Spain. J.A. the linear DNA message in only one direction. polymerase enzyme from ϕ29 that went on to was Margarita Salas’ first PhD student when Second, she helped to show that the triplet of have such a profound impact on DNA analysis. she returned to Spain, and is currently the RNA nucleotides UAA represents a stop codon, Existing methods for DNA amplification, director of CIBERNED, Spain. F.M.Jr was a where protein synthesis ends. using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), former director of the Severo Ochoa Centre Returning to Spain in 1967, Salas and Viñuela were slow and prone to errors. Using ϕ29 DNA for Molecular Biology and L.R.-D. is the current set up a lab at the CSIC’s Centre for Biologi- polymerase proved to be much more efficient: director. cal Research in Madrid. They carried out a the technique was called multiple displace- e-mails: [email protected]; fmayor@cbm. systematic genetic analysis of a bacterial ment amplification. It was highly accurate, csic.es; [email protected]