| Clodomiro Picado | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 17, 1887 San Marcos, Nicaragua |
| Died | May 16, 1944 San José, Costa Rica |
| Nationality | Costa Rican |
| Alma mater | La Sorbonne, Paris |
Clodomiro Picado Twight (April 17, 1887 - May 16, 1944), also known as "Clorito Picado", was a Nicaraguan-born scientist, citizen of Costa Rica, who was recognized for his research and discoveries. He was pioneer in the researching snakes and serpent venoms; his internationally recognized achievement was the development of various anti-venom serums. He was one of the precursors of the discovery of penicillin, which he used to treat patients a couple of years before the formal discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming.[1] He wrote over 115 works, mainly books and monographs.
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Picado was born on April 1887 in San Marcos in Nicaragua to his parents, Clodomiro Picado Lara and Carlota Twight Umaña, who both had Costa Rican citizenship. In 1890, Picado, at the age of 3, and his parents, moved to Cartago, Costa Rica. He attended Colegio San Luis Gonzaga, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1906. Due to his excellent qualifications he was granted a scholarship to study in France, where he later studied at the University of the Sorbonne and received his diploma in Zoology in 1909. In 1910 he returned to Costa Rica, but left shortly after to continue his studies. He received his diploma with superior studies in Botany. Picado received the academic rank of Doctor in science in 1913, that same year he was admitted to the Pasteur Institute and the Colonial Institute of Paris. In 1915 he published "Anales del Hospital de San José", a quarterly medical publication in Costa Rica.[2]
In 1944, after an ailment Picado died.[3] Dr. Picado was declared "Meritorious of the Motherland" (Spanish: Benemérito de la Patria) by the Costa Rican Congress, by means of decree no. 34 of 21 of December 1943.[4]
The scientific work of Dr. Picado was prolific and very extensive; it is calculated that he wrote about 115 research papers in his lifetime, delving into nearly all aspects of his environment: soil, flora, fauna, human tissues,water, and others.[5] Among them are included books and monographs. His work covered topics of zoology, botany of bromeliads, ophidism, physiology, phytopathology, industrial microbiology, medical microbiology, and immunology.
In March 2000, doctors from the San Juan de Dios Hospital in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, published his manuscripts, in which he explains his experiences between 1915 and 1927 with the inhibiting action of fungi of the "Penicillin sp" genre in the growth of staphylococci and streptococci (bacteria that cause a series of infections). In 1927, he demonstrated the inhibitory action of the bacillus genus penicillium sp on the proliferation of the bacteria staphylococcus and streptococcus. Although, the discovery of penicillin has been attributed to Alexander Fleming, Picados' old laboratory notebooks from 1923 show records of the antibiosis of penicillium sp.[5]
For this reason he is renowned as one of the precursors of the penicillin antibiotic, discovered by the Scottish biologist and pharmacologist, Alexander Fleming, in 1928. The report with the results of the treatments performed with penicillin by Dr. Picado were published by the Biology Society of Paris in 1927.[6]
In memory of Dr. Picado's outstanding scientific work, since 1977 the Costa Rican Ministry of Science and Technology (MICIT), together with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCJD) grant annually the National Award of Science and Technology "Clodomiro Picado Twight", as stimulus and recognition for the prominent scientific and technological work of Costa Rican citizens.[7] The prize was modified in June 2000, and divided into the following two categories a year later:
Both prizes are awarded annually. The winners become creditors of a commemorative statuette of Dr. Picado, a parchment and a prize in cash.
Picado is featured on the 2,000 colón banknote of Costa Rica.
In 2000, Picado’s daughter-in-law, Lolita González Picado, accepted the Gold Medal awarded posthumously to Picado by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).[5]
There are several institutions and places in Costa Rica named after Picado's memory: