engleski

RuđerBošković Institute, Zagreb - Department of Experimental Biology and Medicine

Immunological recearch in the major Croatian institute for natural sciences evolved from radiation biology and immunology in the fifties and sixties of the past century, over transplantation and tumor immunology in the sixties, seventies, and eighties, to molecular immunology in the nineties and today. At the beginning experimental models were rats, mice and guinea pigs, and later on, as the connections with clinical institutions were established and consolidated, cells and tissues from patients or healthy volunteers. Today, cell lines or primary cell cultures are increasingly used for the research, and modern methods of molecular biology and genetics have been been implemented. Professional profiles of the scientists changed over time. The first echelon mainly consisted of biologists, followed by a propulsive group of physicians and veterinarians who consolidated, developed and ramified immunological research in the Institute and disseminated specific knowledge and techniques to many extramural sites. Newer generations are again dominated by biologists. From the very beginning immunologists of the Ruđer Bošković Institute have participated in postgraduate teaching at the University of Zagreb and at other Croatian universities and mentored dozens of scientists who continued their careers in immunology or related fields at universities, clinics, research institutions or pharmaceutical companies at home or abroad. In that manner the Institute played an important role in Croatian science as a breeding ground for young scientists. diagram 1 – Allegretti "Progeny" of Nikša Allegretti diagram 2 – Stanković "Progeny" of Veljko Stanković Science is produced by dedicated individuals, but it also results from collective endeavour of research teams whose members complement each other with knowledge, skills, ideas and perseverance. In the course of fifty years of immunological research in the Institute many research teams have emerged, and flourished, then lost momentum and eventually disintegrated. Fortunately enough, scientific competition between the teams has never turned into factiousness. Institut's immunologists have preserved cohesion and friendship. And in spite of temporary financial restrictions, overused pieces of equipment, cramped space and limitations on import of chemicals and labware, they succeeded in keeping abreast with more fortunate colleagues working in well-equipped laboratories abroad. Several immunologists who spent their professional lives in the Institute or continued career elsewhere have achieved high international recognition and/or occupied important positions as project leaders, scientific policy makers, book or journal editors, founders and presidents of scientific societies etc. Observing the paradigm set by the great Croatian scholar after whom the Institute was named, immunologists of the Ruđer Bošković Institute strived towards scientific excellence, international cooperation, and personal advancement during postdoctoral fellowships or study visits to leading scientific institutes abroad.

immunology ; Croatia

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