Being a native of Spain, the country to which I owe much of my education and cultural background, I was deeply influenced by my great predecessor Santiago Ramon y Cajal.

Among the great names that adorn the roll of Nobel prize-winners in Medicine is that of Otto Meyerhof, my admired teacher and friend, to whose inspiration, guidance and encouragement I owe so very much.

I treated as few patients as I could as a medical student, and I never practiced medicine.

The nucleic acids have considerable biological importance because of their role in cell growth and in the transmission of hereditary characters.

I tell students that the opportunities I had were a result of having a good educational background. Education is what allows you to stand out.

My family background was deeply Christian.