Redi Award is an international science award given to scientists who have made significant contributions in
toxinology, the scientific study of
venoms
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
,
poisons
A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
and
toxins
A toxin is a naturally occurring poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. They occur especially as proteins, often conjugated. The term was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849–1919), derived ...
. The award is sponsored by the
International Society on Toxinology (ISI).
Origin
''Osservazioni intorno alle vipere'' (''Observations about the Viper'') written by an Italian polymath
Francesco Redi
Francesco Redi (18 February 1626 – 1 March 1697) was an Italians, Italian physician, naturalist, biologist, and poet. He is referred to as the "founder of experimental biology", and as the "father of modern parasitology". He was the first perso ...
in 1664 is regarded as the milestone in the beginning of toxinology research. Redi was the first scientist to elucidate the scientific basis of
snakebite
A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may ...
and venom of the
viper
Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...
. He showed for the first time that the viper venom comes from the
fang
A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fangs, ...
, not the
gallbladder
In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow Organ (anatomy), organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath t ...
as it was believed; that it is not poisonous when swallowed, and effective only when it enters the
bloodstream
In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart an ...
.
He even demonstrated the possibility of slowing down the venom action in the blood by tight
ligature Ligature may refer to:
Language
* Ligature (writing), a combination of two or more letters into a single symbol (typography and calligraphy)
* Ligature (grammar), a morpheme that links two words
Medicine
* Ligature (medicine), a piece of suture us ...
before the wound. This work is heralded as the foundation of
toxinology. In honour of the pioneer, the International Society on Toxinology (ISI) instituted the ''Redi Award'' in 1967 in recognition of scientists for their significant contributions in toxinology research.
[
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Nature of the award
The IST awards scientists or clinicians who have made outstanding contributions to the field of toxinology. The award is given at each World Congress of the Society, which is generally held every three years. It is the highest award bestowed by the society and the most prestigious in the world for toxinologists. Selection for the award is made by the Redi Award Committee chaired by the editor of ''Toxicon
''Toxicon'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of toxinology and the official journal of the International Society on Toxinology and the North American Society of Toxinology. It is published by Elsevier and the editor-in-chief is Ray Norton ...
'' (the official journal of IST) and accompanied by past and present Executive Officers of the society and former Redi awardees. The result is only announced at the World Congress. The recipient is then invited to present a lecture of his/her own choosing, officially called the Redi Lecture, to the congress.
Recipients
The inaugural award was presented in 1967.Baldomero Olivera
Baldomero Olivera (born 1941) is a Filipino chemist known for discovery of many cone snail toxins important for neuroscience. These molecules, called conotoxins, led to a breakthrough in the study of ion channels and neuromuscular synapses.
He dis ...
(USA) 2003
*Lourival Possani (Mexico) 2006
* Cesare Montecucco (Italy) 2009
*David A Warrell (UK) 2012
* José María Gutiérrez (toxinologist) (Costa Rica) 2015
* Michel Lazdunski (France) 2017
* Dietrich Mebs (Germany) 2017
See also
* List of biology awards
This list of biology awards is an index to articles about notable awards for biology. It includes a general list and lists of ecology, genetics and neuroscience awards. It excludes awards for biochemistry, biomedical science, medicine, ornithol ...
References
External links
International Society on Toxinology homepageAlternative IST Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Redi award
Science and technology awards
Biology awards