iCHSTM 2013 Programme • Version 5.3.6, 27 July 2013 • ONLINE (includes late changes)
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The cell and tissue culture technique in Giuseppe Levi’s institute
César Lorenzano | Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero, Argentina

At Athens I presented the story of a fourth researcher trained by Giuseppe Levi that is never mentioned by the other three disciples -all Nobel laureates- and that is virtually unknown to historians of science. I mentioned that Eugenia Sacerdote de Lustig –the fourth researcher, cousin of Rita Levi Montalcini-, had to exile to Argentina due to Musolini´s racial laws, where she continued investigating and teaching till her death in 2011. In this occasion, I will continue that history and answering some questions that emerged in that research, mainly refered to the central role played by the tissue and cells culture technique in their histories. ¿When it was developed in Levi´s institute? ¿How the technique passes from Alexis Carrel's laboratory in New York to Turin? ¿How it was used by Levi´s disciples? ¿Who was Hertha Meyer? The task was not always easy. On one hand there was a large amount of information from numerous interviews, and autobiographical notes. On the other hand I had to fill gaps and inaccuracies. With regard to Eugenia de Lustig, the first women accepted as a member of the National Research Council of Argentina –CONICET-, I will mention some of her disciples –most of them women-, and their scientific findings. Responding to a question stated in the previous Congress, I will mention how many women are principal researchers of the National Research Council.