Dr. Gustavo Sierra. CIM Facebook photo

Havana, April  29 (RHC)-- Cuba's scientific community lamented on Wednesday the death by COVID-19 of Dr. Gustavo Sierra, founder of biotechnology in this country. He was the precursor of essential results in this area and a teacher of young generations.

Several messages of grief for the loss of this professional, considered by many of his colleagues a teacher, friend, and family member, flooded Twitter, where the career of the first president of the Cuban Society of Immunology and member of the Advisory Committee on Vaccines of the Ministry of Public Health was highlighted.

The Biotechnological and Pharmaceutical Industries Group informed about the passing of Dr. Sierra, who was currently an advisor to this business organization.

For its part, the Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) highlighted in a tweet that this scientist was the founder of the center and precursor of vaccinology in Cuba.

He was the principal author of the BC Antimeningococcal Vaccine and the first patent in the world against meningococcus B and others in clinical use or various stages of development.

On Twitter, President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged the outstanding career of the deceased.

"A prestigious scientist, Dr Gustavo Sierra, has passed away due to COVID. In tribute to his work, Cuba ratifies that there will be no lack of science and efforts to defeat the pandemic," he wrote.