Mobile
version

Text only version

rozhlas.cz

Český rozhlasČeský rozhlas 7-Radio PrahaBroadcast
in
English

radio.cz > Feature
«Current Affairs»

Broadcast
Archive

Current
AffairsGroundbreaking chemist Antonín Holý dies
at 75

17-07-2012 17:58 | Christian
Falvey

Send by email

Print

Subscribe to RSS

As is often the case in science, you may not know the name of
the Dr. Antonín Holý even if your life depends on it. The work of the acclaimed
Czech chemist has extended or improved the lives of millions suffering from
HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and many other viral diseases. His theoretical work on
the genetic code in the 1960s preceded any practical application by decades. And
his meticulous and principled approach to scientific processes, and more than
400 discoveries, made him a role model for many and one of the most outstanding
modern Czech scientists. The 75-year-old Dr Holý died on Monday after a
prolonged illness, just two months after the US Food and Drugs Administration
approved a major new drug combination, Truvada, for the treatment of HIV.
Earlier today, Radio Prague spoke with the former chairman of the Czech Academy
of Sciences and biochemist Václav Pačes, who first met Antonín Holý in 1965.

Download: MP3

Antonín
Holý, photo: ČTK“First of all, he was an exceptionally hard-working
scientist. He devoted 100% of his time to chemistry, that’s one thing. But at
the same time, he was lucky to find good collaborators. His prime collaborator
was Professor Erik De Clercq from Belgium, who had very good tests for testing
various kinds of chemical compounds in biological activities. They began
collaborating, with Antonín Holý synthesizing compounds and Erik De Clercq
testing them for various kinds of biological activities, namely viral
activities, and through this ping-pong system they eventually found these unique
compounds that had effects on viruses. And they patented this.

Erik De Clercq“They wanted to
get it to the patients of course, but as you know, it costs a tremendous amount
of money to get a compound drug to patients. So they got together with John C.
Martin who founded the company Gilead Sciences in California, and these three
then started to - slowly but very efficiently – build up a company that
eventually pushed all these compounds on to the market,. And today, they are
saving the lives of millions of people.

“A funny thing to note is that these three: Antonín Holý, Erik De Clercq and
John Martin are called the Holy Trinity by their friends.”

Aside from being a hard worker who, as you said, devoted himself
wholly to science, what kind of a man was he?

Antonín
Holý, photo: ISIFA/ Lidové noviny“He was ambitious, of course. When
he had some results he wanted to be credited for them, which I think is human
nature and the nature of scientists in particular. He was very modest.
Particularly in that he never, ever went to the public with his results before
they had been peer-reviewed in the editorial boards of journals and so-forth.
Sometimes scientists go to the public before they are 100% sure of their
results, which is not good. And I think Antonín Holý was an example of someone
who never did this. He only went to the public after his results were confirmed
and published and peer reviewed. I think it is another important characteristic
of Antonín Holý.”

Tools

Send by email

Subscribe
to RSS

Print

Social bookmarking

Tweet

Česky

Deutsch

English

Español

Français

Pусский

Featured

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Also in this edition

Funny
City Hall campaign aims to attract Londoners during Olympics

Tom
McEnchroe

Want to try out some “Kafkarate”? Or compete in “Freestyle Kissing”, followed up
by some “High Heel gymnastics”? The witty new campaign...More

Related articles

Czech
scientist Antonín Holý dies at 75

17-07-2012 19:14 | Dominik Jůn

More

Science
Journal

07-07-2012 02:01 | Christian
Falvey

In this edition of Science Journal, two interviews with
Czech scientists who have recently published two very different articles in...
More

27-04-2012 20:40 | National
Reference Laboratory registers 44 new HIV cases in 1Q

02-02-2012 23:59 | 2011
saw 153 new HIV cases

04-11-2011 20:43 | Senate
recognises Czech scientist Holý for dedication in the field of medicine

31-10-2011 21:30 | Anonymous
HIV tests free of charge

More

Section Archive

20-07-2012 14:49 | Madeleine
Albright christens new Aspen Institute in Prague

19-07-2012 | David
Rath corruption scandal takes fresh turn

19-07-2012 | US
metal singer arrested in Prague on manslaughter charges “awaiting release” on
bail

18-07-2012 16:32 | Klaus
backs embattled police president

More

Latest programme in English

Latest programme in English

MP3:
32kbps

Archive

RSS

RSS and Podcasting
Choose
from more than 20 RSS channels

Facebook

Facebook
Become a fan of
Radio Prague

Twitter

Twitter
Follow us on
Twitter

More from Radio Prague

Czech
journalist Jana Ciglerová

Czech
scientists present unique trilobite...

Dana
Zátopková recalls past Olympic...

Funny
City Hall campaign aims to attract...

Will
auction of frequencies bring cheaper...

A
visit to Bethlehem Chapel

Topics

Domestic
affairs

Army
|

Citizen
|

Political
parties |

Politics
|

Regional
politics

Foreign policy

Czech-American
relations |

Czech-British
relations |

Diplomacy
|

NATO

Business

Agriculture
|

Business
|

Employment
|

Finance
|

Industry
|

Transport

European Union

Euro
|

European
Commission |

European
Union |

Schengen

Culture

Architecture
|

Arts
|

Dance |

Film
|

Folklore
|

Literature
|

Media |

Museums |

Music |

Radio
Prague |

Theatre

Science and technology

Information
technologies |

Science |

Technology
|

Universe

Nature

Ecology |

Flora
and fauna |

Nature |

Weather

Sport

Athletics
|

Football |

Ice-hockey
|

Tennis |

The
history of sports |

Winter
sports

History

1968
|

Archeology
|

Communism
|

Czech-German
relations |

Czech
Radio history |

First
republic |

Second
World War

Travel

Castles |

Monuments
|

Prague |

Tourism |

Towns
and municipalities |

Travel |

Travelers

Czechs abroad

Czechs
abroad |

Czechs
in the USA

Society

Crime |

Education
|

Family |

Health |

Hobbies |

Human
rights |

Lifestyle
|

Minorities
|

Religion

Czech language

Foreigners
and the Czech Republic

Sitemap|
Mobile
version| RSS| © 1996–2012 Český rozhlas