Edgar J DaSilva - Online Memorial Website

Dr Edgar  J. DaSILVA was a scientist, convinced of the utility of the micro-organisms in the life of the men and the plants. He contributed much to the installation in Africa (Cairo, Nairobi and Dakar) of the MIRCEN culture collection of nitrogen fixing micro-organisms for fighting, with lower cost, against malnutrition and for alleviating poverty. All Africa will be grateful to him, for ever."

Mamadou Gueye

I often think about Edgar who has always inspired me as a microbiology student from the year 1971 ! I was googling tonight to see what he is upto and I was shocked beyond words that I will be writing this condolence note in his honor on a Christmas evening !

He is one of the greatest microbiologist I have ever met besides Dr.Freitas and Dr.Lancy Pereira !

You are bringing back all the good old memories of St Xaviers College Microbiology department !

I will always be your student !

Suresh

 

Dear Mrs. Vida D'Souza,

It is very sad for us in Osaka University to have a news that Dr. Edgar J da Silva passed away October 28. We here express deep condolences to you and his family. The news might arrive at us with a long pass through Paris and Tokyo.

We are now thinking of him, whom we respect and appreciate for his great contribution on the human resources development of developing countries. He had
helped us, Osaka University people, a lot to operate many activities with UNESCO. In several recent years, he kindly stayed Osaka University for a month, as a
visiting professor.

Unfortunately none of us seem to be unable to attend his ceremony in Mumbai, so please let us know the address for our votive offering. If possible, could you arrange flowers for his ceremony by the name of the International Center for Biotechnology, Osaka University, and by the names of Professors Toshiomi
Yoshida, Tatsuji Seki and Takuya Nihira, and Ms Fumiko Sakazumi. Since I would transfer some for them through the bank, please let me know a transfer bank name and account.

Again we are now playing his soul may rest in peace.
Regards,

SEKI, Tatsuji
Professor Emeritus, Osaka University
Director, Osaka University's Bangkok Center for
Education and Research

From: Fernando Acevedo
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 5:56 PM
To: Colin Ratledge
Subject: Re: Edgar Da Silva

 

Dear Collin:

 

I am really very touched by the death of Edgar. Edgar and I were good friends and I appreciate him ver much, both as a biotechnologist and as a human being.

We met over 35 years ago and he was very helpful with our School of Biochemical Engineering and was always concerned with the development of biotechnology in Chile and latin America. I think that he contributed in many ways to biotechnology, notably through his initiative of the MIRCEN network. He was in Chile several times and on each of them we got together and discuss his ideas for several hours. We also met a few times in Paris and Amsterdam.

I just want to share with you these memories of a fine man.

 

Sincerely,

 

Fernando Acevedo

 

That is very sad indeed.

 

Edgar was a splendid person and it was my privilege to have met him on several occasions and to have worked with on several projects. Edgar was irrepressible.  His energy was outstanding.  His contribution to the development of microbiology throughout the developing world was, I believe, unsurpassed.

 

Edgar worked tirelessly until his retirement six years ago through the offices of UNESCO to build up an international network of microbiology laboratories that could undertake the training and development of microbiologists in developing countries.  He conceived of the idea of there being a number of these laboratories in Africa, South America, Asia and also in Europe, North America and Australia. He was able to carry this through to fruition by virtue of his own beliefs in the worthwhileness of this; he identified key personnel and through them instigated a series of MIRCEN Centres:  Microbial Resources Centres.

 

Edgar's vision was that these Centres would be responsible for the use and preservation of microorganisms for deployment in environmental management.  There was to be particular emphasis on Rhizobium gene pools as these were so important for the growth of various leguminous  crops which are so important for the economy of many countries.  Altogether, 15 MIRCEN Centres were created during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

 

Soon after the establishment of these Centres, it became clear to Edgar that publication of microbiological work being carried out in the developing countries needed its own journal that could recognise the difficulties under which such work was being carried out.  The work  would often be unique in that it would be describing microbial systems and the development of projects that were unknown elsewhere. Often this research would offer new insights and possible solutions to old problems.  However the research might not reach the highest standards of other research in Europe or North America because of the problems in doing such work under very difficult conditions.  Edgar felt, with some justification, that to deny such research valid publication was unreasonable. He therefore conceived of the MIRCEN Journal of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.  This was launched in 1985 with Jacques Senez of Marseille and Fred Skinner in the UK being the first joint editors.  Edgar was Chairman of the Editorial Advisory Board. The venture was backed by UNESCO and publication was undertaken by Oxford University Press.   After two years,  E.J. Nyns from Belgium and myself took over the editors' duties.   Three years later, in 1990 the Journal after having proved a great success was re-vamped and re-launched with a more encompassing title:  World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnolgy.  Again Edgar was very much to the forefront in deciding the new title.  His input into the Journal was considerable;  he instigated several special issues of the Journal that covered a variety of key topics but all of which focussed on some unique aspect of microbiology being carried out in developing countries which was of significance and relevance to the rest of the world.  Edgar remained an Editorial Advisor to the end.

 

Edgar's contribution to world microbiology was massive; no one came close to what he achieved.  He tirelessly pursued these goals believing that microbiology and biotechnology could offer so much to developing countries to help them develop their own unique resources and make a lasting impact on microbiology throughout the world.

Microbiology and biotechnology were seen as important activities to give confidence to workers throughout the world that what they were doing, even with highly limited resources, was important and could be a major way of improving hygiene and agriculture as well as providing simple biotechnology products for people.  His legacy will live on for many decades to come.

 

It was a privilege to have known Edgar and to have worked with him. He will be missed by colleagues in tremendous numbers throughout the world.

 

I will try to contact some of Edgar's old colleagues.

Best wishes

Colin

Professor Colin Ratledge

Department of Biological Sciences

University of Hull

This is very sad to have lost a great scientist and a very close friend. I shall always remember Edgar’s commitment to advancing technology in Africa. Iam a product of these efforts. For me and the MIRCEN Nairobi team is that his soul rests in eternal  peace.

 

Best Regards,

 

Prof. Nancy Karanja,

Regional Coordinator Sub Saharan Africa,

Urban Harvest-CGIAR System-wide Initiative on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture 

From: Scriven
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 1:14 PM
To: Hoareau, Lucy
Subject: Edgar da Silva

 

Dear Lucy

I am very shocked.

Edgar supported our International Training Programme at the GBF (now HZI) for many years. We ran intensive  6-7 week training programmes for biotechnologists from developing countries from 1987 - 2000. It was exciting to run these and they were described by Paul Greenfield from Australia as the "finishing school for Biotechnologists".  For many participants they were a key experience in their career development. 

 

Edgar was on the Board of Advisors and unflinchingly did all he could to help us in our work.  Given the scepticism about development aid to developing countries, this can now be seen to be exceptional.

 

I was in touch with him in September this year since my husband and I were coming to Paris.  My husband remembered that Edgar was very keen on a large umbrella and we had not been able to give one to him previously - it was too long to fit into the suitcase.

 

We intended to present him with a large blue umbrella and to meet in Paris at the end of September 2007 on his return from South Africa. In the event he was not feeling well enough but we had in mind to meet again this month. It seems incredible that he is no longer there.  He was such a great institution - such a big heart - a great appetite for work, and was very good at formulating in english.  I can remember vividly how this made documentation with him a pleasure.  And this combined with his wonderful sense of humour. He was nevertheless a modest man - putting on airs and graces would have been alien to him.

 

The fact that he co-authored a book in his retirement of such breadth and with such skill shows how very wide awake he was.  I shall miss him.

I should be grateful if you could let me have any information about him which might appear.

with best regards

jeannie S

 

Jeannie Scriven MA (Univ.Dublin) MPhil (Univ.Bath)

International Training Programme Mascheroder Weg 1

J’ai rencontré Edgar Dasilva,je pense que personne ne peux rester indifférent à l’exceptionel personne que c’était , originale et rigoureux dans son travail, altruiste, Et un extraordinaire   hédoniste épicurien qui aimait beaucoup la vie avec un grand V

 

Anthony LAURI

UNESCO - Natural  Sciences Sector

Dear Lucy,

 Your letter concerning the sudden death of my old friend at UNESCO Edgar DaSilva shocked me. He was a great man, a very nice fellow, a good friend who always wanted to help peoples and help to develop science and technology all over the World. He made special attention to the poor and to the developing countries. His contribution on managing and organizing MIRCEN a BETCEN ( this latest along with Professor Indra Vasil)  are acknowledged  by all of us. His excellent skills in communicating peoples were his one of greatest talents and characters. I still remember for our joint trip to Pretoria for a MIRCEN-BETCEN workshop, and always remembering for for him when I am in Paris regardless of the purpose of my trip there. I already missed him when he retired and, now I know that we will meet later...

His death which happened in Mumbai was an appreciation by the fate that he passed away in his belowed country.

From my part please forward my deepest condolence to his family.

I will keep him in my heart and be remembered for him till my depart.

Yours

Ervin

Dr Ervin Balázs

Department of Applied Genomics
Agricultural Research Institute

Thank you for your email.

I was deeply saddened to hear of Edgar's passing. He will be sorely missed in many ways but, his legacy will live on.

With my best regards,

John Buswell