Pablo de Tarso Rafael Antonio Valenzuela Valdés, Chilean biomedical researcher and manager (Santiago de Chile 13 June 1941 -
With biochemist William Rutter & Edward Penhoet the biotechnology company Chiron Corporation in United States (1981)
Co-discovered the hepatitis C virus
Sequenced the hepatitis B, AIDS, delta hepatitis and salmon’s infectious pancreatic necrosis viruses
Sequenced totally Piscirickettsia salmonis genome
DEVELOPED
The world’s first recombinant vaccine (against hepatitis B virus) in 1981
Blood banking tests
The first blood test for hepatitis C virus
New technologies for expression of recombinant viral antigens
A number of viral antigens used in vaccines and blood diagnostic tests
A new technology for production of foreign proteins in yeasts such as human insulin and human growth factor
Probes and monoclonal antibodies for detecting pathogens in salmon eggs
Vaccines for salmon aquiculture
Technologies for diagnosis and control for a number of viruses that attack grapevines
Over 40 patents
HONOURS
Doctor Honoris Causa, Université du Bordeaux (2005)
Lifetime Achievement Award, Bay Bio Association of California (USA) 2013
Gold Medal, World Intellectual Property Organization (2015)