Miroslav Radman (born April 30, 1944) is a

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

n biologist.

Biography

Radman was born in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

, PR Croatia,

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. From 1962–1967 he studied experimental biology,

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistica ...

and

molecular biology Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...

at the

University of Zagreb The University of Zagreb ( hr, Sveučilište u Zagrebu, ; la, Universitas Studiorum Zagrabiensis) is the largest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of ...

and in 1969 he obtained a doctorate degree in

at the

Free University of Brussels University of Brussels may refer to several institutions in Brussels, Belgium: Current institutions * Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), a French-speaking university established as a separate entity in 1970 *Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), a D ...

. He spent the next three years at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

as a

postdoctoral research A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to pu ...

er. From 1973 until 1983 he was Professor of Molecular Biology at the Free University of Brussels and from 1983 until 1998 the Research Director at the French Centre for Scientific Research at the University of Paris 7. He is now a professor of

cellular biology Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...

at the Faculté de Médecine – Necker, Université Paris V,

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. In 2002 he became a full member of the French Academy of Sciences, the first

Croat The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Ge ...

to do so in the Academy's history. Radman is a co-founder of the Mediterranean Institute For Life Sciences located in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Scientific work

Radman's specialty is

DNA repair DNA repair is a collection of processes by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome. In human cells, both normal metabolic activities and environmental factors such as radiation can cause DNA da ...

. His work with Evelyn M. Witkin set the basis for the discovery of the

SOS response The SOS response is a global response to DNA damage in which the cell cycle is arrested and DNA repair and mutagenesis is induced. The system involves the RecA protein (Rad51 in eukaryotes). The RecA protein, stimulated by single-stranded DNA ...

. The

hypothesis was put forward by Radman in 1970 in a letter sent to various researchers, and later published in 1974. With his group he demonstrated the molecular mechanism of speciation by showing that

DNA mismatch repair DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a system for recognizing and repairing erroneous insertion, deletion, and mis-incorporation of bases that can arise during DNA replication and recombination, as well as repairing some forms of DNA damage. Mismatch ...

mechanism prevents recombination between similar

chromosome A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

s which leads to establishment of genetic barriers between species. In 2011 Radman won the FEMS- Lwoff Award, given out by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, for his research of DNA repair mechanism in ''

Deinococcus radiodurans ''Deinococcus radiodurans'' is an extremophilic bacterium and one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known. It can survive cold, dehydration, vacuum, and acid, and therefore is known as a polyextremophile. It has been listed as the world' ...

''. He clarified the molecular mechanism that allows Deinococcus radiodurans to repair its fatally damaged DNA. Radman developed a methodology which enables direct visualization of

horizontal gene transfer Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or lateral gene transfer (LGT) is the movement of genetic material between unicellular and/or multicellular organisms other than by the ("vertical") transmission of DNA from parent to offspring (reproduction). H ...

Awards and memberships

* Antoine Lacassagne Award (1979), Grand Prix of the French League Against Cancer for the discovery of the mutagenic SOS system in bacteria * Golden Eureka of Innovation (1990) *

Grand Prix Charles-Leopold Mayer The Grand Prix Charles-Léopold Mayer (Charles-Léopold Mayer Prize) is awarded annually by the Académie des Sciences (French Academy of Sciences) de l'Institut de France (the French Institute) to researchers who have performed outstanding work in ...

of the French Academy of Science for the co-discovery of DNA error correction (mismatch repair) * Medal of Honour (1992) awarded by Society for the Encouragement of Progress * Spiridion Brusina Medal (1998) at the 100th anniversary of the Croatian Naturalists' Society * Leopold Griffuel Prize for the contributions to the field of

Richard Lounsbery Award The Richard Lounsbery Award is given to American and French scientists, 45 years or younger, in recognition of "extraordinary scientific achievement in biology and medicine." The Award alternates between French and American scientists, and is awa ...

– Joint Award of the French and U.S. national academies of science for the discovery of

as genetic barrier between related species * Science Award (2000) from the “U.S. Environmental Mutagen Society” for "far-reaching research contributions to understanding the profound consequences of mutation and recombination, in global genomic responses, DNA repair, cancer and evolution" * Katzir Katchalsky Honorary Lecturer (2000), Weizmann Institute,

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

* Grand Prix de l'INSERM (2003) awarded by the French Institute of Health and Medical Research * Leonardo Award (2004) for creativity in scientific research * FEMS- Lwoff Award (2011) for his research of DNA repair mechanism in

* Fellow of French Academy of Sciences * Corresponding member of Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences * Foreign honorary member of

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

* Member of The Academy of Europe(2018)

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20060831161219/http://www.necker.fr/tamara/pages/miro.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20060920081459/http://www.academie-sciences.fr/membres/R/Radman_Miroslav_bio.htm
Miroslav Radman, Grand Prix Inserm 2003 de la recherche médicale

Mediterranean Institute For Life Sciences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Radman, Miroslav 1944 births Living people Croatian biologists French biologists Members of the French Academy of Sciences Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Richard-Lounsbery Award laureates Members of Academia Europaea Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb alumni Scientists from Split, Croatia Academic staff of the University of Paris French people of Croatian descent