Name: Andres E. Carrasco

Position: (1946-2014)

Research Description:

Professor Andrés Eduardo Carrasco died on May 10, 2014, after a short illness. He was only 67 years old, still with great vitality and passion for science. With Andrés's passing, the Xenopus community has lost a careful and insightful investigator who made numerous important contributions to the field. He was known for claiming the discovery of the adverse effects of glyphosate used in transgenic crops ingredient in Roundup pesticide made by Monsanto. Carrasco found that very small amounts can cause neurological damage in chicken and frog embryos that are similar to human birth defects found in farming communities. Monsanto challenged Carrasco's embryo tests as unreliable and irrelevant for assessing the risk to humans. He was president and Head of Laboratory embryology (CONICET) of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

This is a very interesting opinion article in tribute to Andres' impact, well worth reading: https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Andres-Carrasco-vs-Monsanto-20141001-0090.html
The article finishes with this,[ in June 2014] "the School of Medicine of the University of Rosario (Argentina’s third biggest city) established the 16th June –Carrasco’s birthday– as the “Día de la Ciencia Digna” (“Day of Dignity in Science”), to celebrate the role of knowledge and of scientists in the service of the community (and not in the service of profit). Other Argentine universities already agreed on the commemoration day. Considering that universities and scientists from all over the world are under pressure to become appendixes to corporations that provide cheap research (and ask few questions), it would be a great opportunity to make the Day of Dignity in Science a global commemoration."

Contact Information

Address:
Instituto Biologia Celular y Neurociencias"
Laboratorio de Embriologia Molecular
Facultad de Medicina.
Univ. de Buenos Aires.
Paraguay, 2155 3er piso.
Buenos Aires
1121, Argentina