by Elio
Gastrotheca riobambae, an Ecuadorian marsupial frog studied by Del Pino. Source: Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador.
In 2006, an Ecuadorian investigator, Eugenia Del Pino, was elected to the U. S. National Academy of Sciences. Her extraordinary contributions pertained to frog development, not exactly a microbiological subject. (She was even quoted as saying: "I didn't want to work with bacteria.") Nevertheless, the announcement causes me to celebrate. I spent my youth in Quito, Ecuador's capital, and have a special affection for that city and country. Hers is a singular honor, seldom bestowed on investigators from the developing world. It is not her first such award – another demonstration that exceptional talent cannot be constrained by suboptimal working conditions. The biographical note in a recent issue of PNAS attests to this and can inspire us all.
