Francisco Gonzalo Bolívar Zapata, Mexican molecular biologist and biotechnologist (Ciudad de Mexico 07 March 1948 –

Great grandson of entomologist Ignacio Bolívar and grandson of Candido Bolívar

Authored over 240 works (over 16,000 citations)

Regarded as a world pioneer on genetic isolation, characterization and manipulation of micro-organisms

Isolated, characterized and manipulated genes of basic and industrial purposes

Under the guidance of Herbert Boyer, designed and developed pBR322 plasmid (the multipurpose cloning vehicle) worldwide used

With H. Boyer et al. first to demonstrate that it was possible to express mammalian proteins (insulin and somatostatin) in bacteria using recombinant DNA technology (1977-9)

Proposed genetic and physiological modification of microoraganisms in for better design and optimization of metabolites and proteins production (1990s)

Developed technologies for human insulin production via pro insulin

RELEVANT PAPERS

With N. Floras, J. Xiao, A. Berry & F. Valle. Pathway enginering for the production of aromatic compounds in Escherichia coli. Nature Biotechn. 14(5):620-3, 1996 (pioneer work on genetical engineering of metabolic pathways)

With D.V. Goeddel, D.G. Kleid, H.L. Heyneker, D.G. Yansura, R. Crea, T. Hirose, A. Kraszewski, K. Itakura & A.D. Riggs. Expression in Escherichia coli of chemically synthesized genes for human insulin. Proceed. Nat. Acad. Sciences USA 76:106-10, 1979

With K. Itakura, T. Hirose, R. Crea, A.D. Riggs, H.L. Heyneker, H.W. Boyer. Expression in Escherichia coli of a chemically synthesized gene for the hormone somatostain. Science 198 (105663), 1977

With M.C. Betlach, H.L. Heyneker, J. Shine, R.L. Rodríguez & H.W. Boyer. Origin of replication of pBR345 plasmid DNA. Proceed. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 74:5265-9, 1977

With R.L. Rodríguez, P.J. Greene, M.C. Betlach, H.L. Heyneker & H.W. Boyer. Construction and characterization of new cloning vehicles. II. A multipurpose cloning system. Gene 2:95-113, 1977

DEVELOPED

With A. Sabido, L.M. Martínez, R. de Anda, A. Martínez & G. Gosset. An novel plasmid vector designed for chromosomal gene integration and expression: use for developing a genetically stable Escherichia coli melanin production strain. Plasmid 69:16-23, 2013

With A. Sabido, A. Martínez & G. Gosset. Generación de un sistema para la integración y expresión de genes en el cromosomo de Escherichia coli. Biotecnologia 15:35-49, 2011

With S. LeBorgne, B. Palmeros & G. Gosset. Improvement of the pBRINT-Ts plasmid family to obtain marker-free chromosomal insertion of cloned DNA in E. coli. Biotechniques 30:252-6, 2001

With B. Palmeros, J. Wild, W. Szybalski, S. LeBorgne, G. Hernandez Chavez, G. Gosset & F. Valle. A family of removable cassettes designed to obtain antibiotic-resistance free genomic modifications of Escherichia coli and other bacteria. Gene 247:255-64, 2000

With S. LeBorgne, B. Palmeros, F. Valle & G. Gosset. pBRINT-Ts: a plasmid family with a temperature sensitive replicon, designed for chromosomal integration into the lacZ gene of Escherichia coli. Gene 223:213-9, 1998

With P. Balbas, M. Alexeyev, I. Shokolenko & F. Valle. A pBRINT family of plasmids for integration of cloned DNA into the Escherichia coli chromosome. Gene 172:65-9, 1996

With P. Balbas, X. Alvarado & F. Valle. Plasmid pBRINT: a vector for chromosomal insertion of cloned DNA. Gene 136:211-3, 1993

With E. Merino, J. Osuna & X. Soberón. A general PCR-based method for single or combinatorial oligo nucleotide-directed mutagenesis on pUC/M 13 vectors. Biotechniques 12:508-10, 1992

With N. Flores, R. de Anda, L. Guereca, N. Cruz, S. Antonio, P. Balbas & F. Valle. A new expression vector for the production of fused proteins in Escherichia coli. Appl. Microbiol. Biotech. 25:267-71, 1986

With L. Covarrubias. Construction and characterization of new cloning vehicles VI. Plasmid pBR329, a new derivative of pBR328 lacking the 482-base pair inverted duplication. Gene 17:79-89, 1982

With L.L. Villa & R.R. Brentani. Human insulin: construction of a plasmid obtaining its coding sequences. Arq. Bras. Endocrin. Metabol. 25:61-4, 1981

With P.J. Greene, H.L. Heyneker, R.L. Rodríguez, M.C. Betlach, A.A. Covarrubías, K. Backman, D.J. Russel, R. Tait & H.W. Boyer. A general method for the purification of restriction enzymes. Nucleic Acid Research 5:2373-80, 1978

MEXICAN PATENTS

With J.M. Camacho Zaragoza, G.T. Hernandez Chavez, F. Moreno Avitia, R. Ramírez Iñiguez, A. Martínez Jimenez & G. Gosset Lagarda. Cepas de Escherichia coli modificadas por ingenieria de vias metabolicas para la biosintesis de resveratrol y su uso en un nuevo proceso de co-cultivo (2017)

With L.G. Ponce, L.M. Martínez Mejía, O.T. Ramírez Reivich, A. Martínez Jimenez & G.Gosset Lagarda. Cepas de Escherichia coli con alta capacidad para la producción de plásmidos y su uso en la producción de vacunas de ADN (2013)

With G. Gosset Lagarda, A.J. Muñoz, G. Hernandez & R. de Anda. Cepas de Escherichia coli modificada para producir 3,4-hidroxi-L-fenilalanina (L-DOPA) 2011

With J. Osuña Quintero, J.L. Baez Viveros, G. Hernandez Chavez, X. Soberón Mainero & G. Gosset Lagarda. Versiones insensibles a inhibición alosterica y cataliticamente eficientes de la enzima corismato mutasa-prefenato deshidratasa y su aplicación para la producción de L-fenilalanina em microorganismos 274296 (2010)

With G. Gosset Lagarda, A.R. Lara Rodríguez, M. del C. Vazquez Limón, A. López Munguía Canales & O.T. Ramírez Reivich. Estratégia para generar celulas insensibles a condiciones heterogeneas en biorreactores industriales a traves de mutaciones de vias metabolicas anaeróbias 324994 (2006)

With G. Gosset Lagarda, A. Martínez Jimenez, V.H. Lagunas Muñoz, N. Cabrera Valladares, J.G. Davila Ramos, V.M. Gonzalez Zuñiga & V.P. Bustos Arcos. Producción de melaninas en microorganismos recombinantes (2004)

With L. T. Casas de Terres, F. Bastarrachea Avilés, R. Quintero Ramírez, J.D. Carranco Rosas & E. Galindo Fentanes. Proceso para producir la enzima penicilina amidasa en celulas de E. coli 178107 (1995)

With G. Gosset Lagarda, R. de Anda, R. Quintero, A. Martínez, F. Valle & N. Flores. Proceso fermentativo para obtener proteinas hibridas a partir de cepas de Escherichia coli 174910 (1994)

With L. T. Casas de Terres, F. Bastarrachea Avilés, R. Quintero Ramírez & J.D. Carranco Rosas. Proceso mejorado para separar y purificar el acido6-aminopenicilanico (6-apa) preparado por hidrolisis enzimatico 172536 (1993)

HONOURS

Doctor Honoris Causa, Université de Liege (1994)

International Scientist of the Year 2001, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England (2002)