At a ceremony held in Vienna on June 20, the Spanish scientist received two 2019 European Inventor Awards—one chosen by the public and the other in recognition of her lifetime achievements.
The Spanish scientist began her professional career in the United States in the laboratory of Nobel Prize winner Severo Ochoa, and continued her career at the CSIC, where she founded the country’s first molecular genetics laboratory in 1967. The research conducted by Margarita Salas’s team on the phi29 virus resulted in a 1989 patent protecting a revolutionary method for amplifying DNA. DNA amplification is now a standard technique in all genetics laboratories worldwide and is essential for applications such as DNA sequencing, the identification of genetic profiles in forensic science or paternity testing, the diagnosis of diseases, and more.
In addition to the scientific impact of her research, the economic impact of the inventions developed by Margarita Salas’s team is remarkable. It is worth noting that royalties from Margarita Salas’s patents have totaled nearly 4 million euros—a major milestone in policies aimed at recouping public investment in basic research in Spain.
Margarita Salas and her team exemplify the high quality of Spanish innovation, and although they faced difficulties in the 1980s in bringing their technology to market, today Spain has a technology transfer ecosystem that supports researchers through the arduous process of ensuring that their research ultimately benefits society.