Interviewed by
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Interviewed by |
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Born |
October 14, 1960, Lima, Peru |
Position |
Research Biologist, San Marcos University |
| Research interests |
Secondary metabolites with anticancer activity. Peru has a great deal of forest, with a considerable number of plants acting as what Prieto describes as a reserve of medicinal compounds. Prieto and his team are trying to isolate, identify, and evaluate those compounds with anticancer activity. |
What was the seminal event that pushed you into your line of research?
I wanted to know about the cell cycle and the effect of secondary metabolites on it.
What do you enjoy about your work?
Always, there is something to discover, as well as students to teach about the advances in science and all they can do with that information.
Do you ever get bored?
Perhaps. Some days are boring, but friends help me to change my mind with positive ideas.
Are there aspects you would change?
No, although I don't have enough time to develop my work because we spend a lot of time in classes. It would also be good to work somewhere else to get enough money to survive - $600 a month is not enough to live on.
What was your best experiment?
To show that Lepidium meyenii, "maca," has anti-mitotic activity. This root, or stem, is rather like the radish, and was once used by the ancient people of Peru to revitalize the body. The plant is now known to contain thioglycosides with cytostatic activity.
How did the experience increase your maturity as a scientist?
It showed me that I can prove my knowledge in other countries, although my work is not yet published. I believe that it is important to develop positive changes in our life. And it is more important to apply them in one's work, so we continue to learn and teach.
Who was your most influential teacher?
Hugo Gonzales Figueroa. He was my tutor and gave me great inspiration in my research, and also helped me make contact with investigators in countries like Chile, Brazil, etc.
How would you best like to be remembered?
As a teacher who motivated his students.
Teaching is more important to you than research then?
I teach what I find to my students, and what other researchers do. This is a good combination in science.
What would be your advice to someone entering research?
Learn and experiment. If students have a good base of knowledge, then they can begin to experiment and discuss the results.
In what areas do you think you need advice yourself?
In developmental biology. The philosophy behind this science is a point I am yet to solve in my life.
What would you be if not a scientist?
An archaeologist. My country has a rich past, and there are a lot of things to discover and show to the world.
Which scientist from history would you like to meet?
Albert Einstein. I am very impressed by his studies and intrigued as to exactly how his brain worked. Apparently, his brain had more connections than normal in the region related to spatial forms.
What would you ask him?
"Is all in your life 'relative'?" Some people worry over terrible problems and forget that there is little time to share with family and friends. I think everything is relative in our lives. Not all problems are as they seem.
What was the greatest scientific discovery of the twentieth century?
Gene therapy. Already, great strides have been taken in treating children with no immune defenses. Using genetically modified cells from their medulla permits them to develop resistance to viruses and bacteria.
What will be the great discoveries of this one?
p>Gene therapy in a full application, a treatment for cystic fibrosis, perhaps.How has the Internet influenced what you do?
It has allowed me to know people like you.
David Bradley, a freelance science writer, lives on the edge of the fens north of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Elemental Discoveries is his Webzine of science news.
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