SEBD Honours Antonio García-Bellido

A Pioneer in Developmental Biology

On the past 10th of November, Antonio García-Bellido passed away. Widely regarded as the father of the Spanish school of Developmental Biology and one of the most influential figures in this field worldwide, his work focused on uncovering the genetic, cellular, and molecular foundations of animal development, using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism.

Among his landmark contributions were the discovery of the concept of “compartments” in the Drosophila wing, transforming our understanding of segmentation and tissue development, the formulation of the selector gene theory, clonal analysis of developing systems, and studies on the genetic control of organ size and shape. These achievements not only revolutionized Developmental Biology in Spain but also marked a turning point internationally, shaping contemporary research and inspiring generations of scientists across the globe.

Antonio served as Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and led the Developmental Genetics Laboratory at the Centre for Molecular Biology (CBM) for decades. He received numerous honours, including the Prince of Asturias Award for Scientific and Technical Research, and was elected to prestigious institutions such as the Royal Society of London and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, in addition to several honorary doctorates. Still his legacy goes far beyond these honours: Antonio inspired generations of scientists, many of whom became part of what was known as the “Madrid school” of developmental genetics. His teaching, visionary ideas, and commitment to rigorous experimental approaches defined an era and continue to shape science today.

He leaves behind a path guided by curiosity, scientific rigor, and the power of ideas. We find comfort in knowing that his work lives on in every laboratory, every publication, and every young researcher who, following his example, chooses to dedicate their career to Developmental Biology.

For SEBD, his passing represents the loss of one of our founding members and first president, a mentor who decisively contributed to giving our discipline international visibility and prestige. His figure will remain an ethical, scientific, and human reference. In his honour, the SEBD has asked his closest collaborators and friends to share a few words about Antonio García-Bellido. You can watch their testimonies in this video in Spanish (subtitles can be added if you wish).

The interviewees are identified in the main part of the video, but at the end there are short testimonies where names are not shown. For this reason, we provide a list of these contributors in order of appearance:

José Félix de Celis

Marco Milán

Luis Alberto Baena-López

Rosa Barrio

Cassandra Extavour

Antonio Baonza

Luis García Alonso

Manuel Mari Beffa

Montserrat Corominas

Marcos González-Gaitan

David Gubb

Florenci Serras

María Dolors Ferrés Marcó

José Carlos Pastor Pareja

Pedro Fernández-Funez

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