From left to right, Javier Lluch, Francis Martínez Mojica and Juli Peretó.

“Only when some of the most trivial issues of the human being have come into play, such as personal prestige or economic benefits, has it been put at risk that we can benefit in the short term” from research on CRISPR.” The biologist Francisco Martínez Mojica made these statements during his investiture, on Thursday, January 11, as an 'honoris causa' doctor from the University of València. Mojica, who graduated from the University of Valencia, described the University of Valencia as “my dear” University.

The event was part of the celebration of 50 years of Biology studies at the University of Valencia. In the session, held in the Auditorium of the historic building on La Nau street, the rector, Esteban Morcillo, also spoke; and the emeritus professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Luis Franco, who has read thelaudatio. The event was attended by the Minister of Universal Health and Public Health, Carmen Montón; the Minister of Transparency, Social Responsibility, Participation and Cooperation, Manuel Alcaraz; and the general director of Universities, Research and Science, Josefina Bueno.

Martínez Mojica proposed the first hypothesis about the role of CRISPR as a prokaryotic defense mechanism based on the viral origin (bacteriophage) of the spacers.

During his intervention he stated: “The bacteria harbors, in regions of its genome called CRISPR, a record of viral invaders that were an affront to an ancestor. This CRISPR catalog of annoying visitors is coupled to tools through which the bacteria alter the integrity of the DNA of the virus thus recognized, or of other similar ones with a reasonable similarity. Consequently, it is appropriate to define the CRISPR mechanism as a defense system, guided by memories that are acquired in response to aggression. Bacteria do not have feelings, so it cannot be considered as an act of revenge towards those who attacked their parents, but rather as a mechanical protection device. caste, which is armored thanks to the legacy of experience.

The understanding “of this wonder of nature”, refined by evolution over billions of years, in the words of Mojica, “has not only changed our perception of the microbial world. Furthermore, it has revolutionized biology in all its areas and is driving the progress of medicine in an unprecedented way. The ease with which we can manipulate CRISPR memory has provided us with extraordinary laboratory tools.”

The new ‘honoris causa’ explained: “This spectacular advance in knowledge was possible thanks to the individual work of researchers and unrestricted communication between members of the scientific community, disregarding international barriers and the particular interests of the respective institutions. Like bacterial communities, these groups of microbiologists had no other intention than to contribute to the global culture of their society. Only when some of the most banal issues of human beings have come into play, such as personal prestige or economic benefits, is it being put at risk that we can benefit in the short term from such an amazing development. We still have a lot to learn from bacteria, from unrestricted altruism.”

The complete lectio can be consulted by clicking here.

Laudatio

For his part, Luis Franco has noted: “The Spanish scientific community must sing a mea culpa for not having detected the crucial role of Dr. Mojica's discovery in 1993.” And he added: “Despite his important discovery, despite having coined the acronym CRISPR to refer to the sequences discovered by him in Haloferax mediterranei, despite so many years of effort to unravel its meaning, a long time went by without his research being valued in our society. country, a time in which he was even denied official aid to continue researching.”

The laudatio can be read in fullby clicking here.

Words from the rector

The rector of the University of Valencia, Esteban Morcillo has highlighted the trajectory of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, which is celebrating 50 years of studies in this discipline at the University of Valencia: “Created in September 1977 as a transformation of the old and historic Faculty of Sciences, following a tradition of studies in the old Section of Biological Sciences that began in 1969.” The rector stated: “It is time, therefore, to reiterate the institutional congratulations to our Faculty of Biological Sciences and to all the people who, over more than five decades, have contributed to creating an academic tradition in this branch of Life Sciences in which our new honorary participated as a student of a specialty to which he has dedicated his academic life.” Esteban Morcillo concluded: “Starting from the observation of its most immediate natural environment, the Professor Martínez Mojica discovered molecular and genetic mechanisms that have their application in numerous branches of the life sciences and that are at the base of the great advances that will lead, among others, to the improvement of people's health.”

The rector's speech can be consulted by clicking here.

Biography

Martínez Mojica has a degree in Biology from the University of Valencia and a doctorate in Biotechnology from the University of Alicante. He was born in Elx in 1963 and is currently a full professor in the Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology and a member of the Multidisciplinary Institute for the Study of the Environment 'Ramon Margalef' at the University of Alicante. He discovered the genome of archaea, currently known as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeteats), the basis of a prokaryotic immune defense system.

His research has focused on archaea, regularly spaced palindromic repeats, and has contributed to establishing the physiological dysfunction of archaea, their phylogenetic distribution and evolutionary antiquity.

Martínez Mojica proposed the first hypothesis on the role of CRISPR as a prokaryotic defense mechanism based on the viral origin (bacteriophage) of the spacers.

Its scientific activity has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Jaume I Award for Basic Research, the Frontiers of Knowledge of the BBVA Foundation, the Alberto Sols and the Lilly Foundation award in Preclinical Biomedical Research.