Redi Award

Last updated

Redi Award is an international science award given to scientists who have made significant contributions in toxinology, the scientific study of venoms, poisons and toxins. The award is sponsored by the International Society on Toxinology (ISI). [1]

Contents

Origin

Osservazioni intorno alle vipere (Observations about the Viper) written by an Italian polymath Francesco Redi in 1664 is regarded as the milestone in the beginning of toxinology research. Redi was the first scientist to elucidate the scientific basis of snakebite and venom of the viper. [2] He showed for the first time that the viper venom comes from the fang, not the gallbladder as it was believed; that it is not poisonous when swallowed, and effective only when it enters the bloodstream. [3] He even demonstrated the possibility of slowing down the venom action in the blood by tight ligature before the wound. This work is heralded as the foundation of toxinology. [4] In honour of the pioneer, the International Society on Toxinology (ISI) instituted the Redi Award in 1967 in recognition of scientists for their significant contributions in toxinology research. [1]

Nature of the award

The IST awards scientists or clinicians who have made outstanding contributions to the field of toxinology. The award is given at each World Congress of the Society, which is generally held every three years. It is the highest award bestowed by the society and the most prestigious in the world for toxinologists. Selection for the award is made by the Redi Award Committee chaired by the editor of Toxicon (the official journal of IST) and accompanied by past and present Executive Officers of the society and former Redi awardees. The result is only announced at the World Congress. The recipient is then invited to present a lecture of his/her own choosing, officially called the Redi Lecture, to the congress. [3] [5] The Award consists of a framed citation describing the merits of the awardee and a financial assistance to help cover expenses associated with attendance at the meeting. [6]

Recipients

The inaugural award was presented in 1967. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venom</span> Toxin secreted by an animal

Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved venom apparatus, such as fangs or a stinger, in a process called envenomation. Venom is often distinguished from poison, which is a toxin that is passively delivered by being ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin, and toxungen, which is actively transferred to the external surface of another animal via a physical delivery mechanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francesco Redi</span> Italian naturalist and poet

Francesco Redi was an Italian physician, naturalist, biologist, and poet. He is referred to as the "founder of experimental biology", and as the "father of modern parasitology". He was the first person to challenge the theory of spontaneous generation by demonstrating that maggots come from eggs of flies.

<i>Cerastes cerastes</i> Species of reptile

Cerastes cerastes, commonly known as the Saharan horned viper or the desert horned viper, is a venomous species of viper native to the deserts of Northern Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Levant. It is often easily recognized by the presence of a pair of supraocular "horns", although hornless individuals do occur. Three subspecies have been described.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake venom</span> Highly modified saliva containing zootoxins

Snake venom is a highly toxic saliva containing zootoxins that facilitates in the immobilization and digestion of prey. This also provides defense against threats. Snake venom is injected by unique fangs during a bite, whereas some species are also able to spit venom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell's viper</span> Species of venomous snake

Russell's viper is a venomous snake in the family Viperidae native to the Indian subcontinent and one of the big four snakes in India. It was described in 1797 by George Shaw and Frederick Polydore Nodder, and named after Patrick Russell, who wrote about it in his 1796 work An account of Indian serpents, collected on the coast of Coromandel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sankar Kumar Pal</span>

Sankar Kumar Pal is a computer scientist and president of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata. He is a computer scientist with an international reputation on pattern recognition, image processing, fuzzy neural network, soft computing, granular mining, and machine intelligence. He founded the Machine Intelligence Unit in 1993, and the Center for Soft Computing Research: A National Facility in 2004, both at the ISI. He is the founder president of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, Kolkata Chapter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monocled cobra</span> Species of snake

The monocled cobra, also called monocellate cobra and Indian spitting cobra, is a venomous cobra species widespread across South and Southeast Asia and listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<i>Atheris squamigera</i> Species of snake

Atheris squamigera is a venomous viper species endemic to west and central Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Atheris</i> Genus of venomous vipers of tropical Africa

Atheris is a genus of vipers known as bush vipers. They are found only in tropical subsaharan Africa and many species have isolated and fragmented distributions due to their confinement to rain forests. Like all other vipers, they are venomous. In an example of convergent evolution, they show many similarities to the arboreal pit vipers of Asia and South America. Seventeen species are currently recognized.

<i>Azemiops</i> Genus of snakes

Azemiopinae is a monogeneric subfamily created for the genus Azemiops that contains the viper species A. feae and A. kharini. They are commonly known as Fea's vipers. No subspecies are recognized. The first specimen was collected by Italian explorer Leonardo Fea, and was described as a new genus and new species by Boulenger in 1888. Formerly considered to be one of the most primitive vipers, molecular studies have shown that it is the sister taxon to the pit vipers, Crotalinae. It is found in the mountains of Southeast Asia, in China, southeastern Tibet, and Vietnam. Like all other vipers, they are venomous.

<i>Montivipera xanthina</i> Species of snake

Montivipera xanthina, known as the rock viper, coastal viper, Ottoman viper, and by other common names, is a viper species found in northeastern Greece and Turkey, as well as certain islands in the Aegean Sea. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Chen-Yuan Lee, was a Taiwanese pharmacologist and political activist. He is famous for his research on snake venom. He was a recipient of the prestigious Redi Award from the International Society on Toxinology (IST), and was also a former president of the society. He was a former dean of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine. After his retirement from researching, he focused on participating in the Taiwan independence movement and many democratic movement. Lee had founded many political organizations such as the "100 Action Union" (100行動聯盟), Foundation of Medical Professionals Alliance in Taiwan. He was also the first chairperson of the Taiwan Independence Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moyse Charas</span>

Moyse Charas, or Moses Charas, was an apothecary in France during the reign of Louis XIV. He became famous for publishing compendiums of medication formulas, which played vital roles in the development of modern pharmacy and chemistry. He is best remembered for his medical compendium Pharmacopée royale galénique et chymyque published in 1676

International Society on Toxinology (IST) is a global society of scientists and clinicians working for the advancement of venoms, poisons and toxins. It was founded in 1962 with an aim to advance knowledge on venoms, poisons and toxins of animal, plant and microbial origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Seifert</span> American medical toxicologist

Steven A. Seifert (1950–2022) was an American medical toxicologist. He was a professor of emergency medicine at the University of New Mexico, as well as the medical director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center. Since 2017, he was the editor-in-chief of Clinical Toxicology. He was also a jazz tenor saxophonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. K. Mukherjee</span> Indian biochemist

Ashis K. Mukherjee is an Indian biochemist specializing in snake venom biochemistry, molecular biology and microbiology. He served as the Head of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Tezpur University during 2008– 2011. Known for his research on snake venom biochemistry, proteomic composition and other proteins related work from microbial and plant background, Mukherjee serves as the head and coordinator of the Nodal Center for Medical Colleges and Biomedical Research Institutes of North East India at Tezpur University. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, for his contributions to biosciences, in 2013. Mukherjee has also received the Visitor's Award 2018 for research in the fields of basic and applied sciences from the President of India.

The North American Society of Toxinology (NAST) is a North America-based, international, multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the science of all things venomous. It was founded in 2012 and is a 501(c)(3) organization under the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

José María Gutiérrez is a Costa Rican toxinologist known for his work with animal venoms and development of antivenoms. He won the Redi Award, the highest honor conferred by the International Society on Toxinology in 2017 for his work.

References

  1. 1 2 Mebs D (2012). "History of the International Society on Toxinology - A personal view". Toxicon. 69: 21–8. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.11.021. PMID   23237723.
  2. Francesco Redi (1988). Knoefel PK (ed.). Francesco Redi on Vipers. Leiden, the Netherlands: E.J. Brill. pp. 11–17. ISBN   9004089489 . Retrieved 2013-04-18.
  3. 1 2 Habermehl GG (1994). "Francesco Redi—life and work". Toxicon. 32 (4): 411–417. doi:10.1016/0041-0101(94)90292-5. PMID   8052995.
  4. Hayes AN, Gilbert SG (2009). "Historical milestones and discoveries that shaped the toxicology sciences". EXS. 99 (1): 1–35. doi:10.1007/978-3-7643-8336-7_1. PMID   19157056.
  5. International Society on Toxinology. "IST Redi Awards" . Retrieved 2013-04-18.
  6. International Society on Toxinology. "International Society on Toxinology By-Laws Article X" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-04-18.
  7. "The IST Redi award – The International Society on Toxinology". www.toxinology.org. Retrieved 2023-09-22.