[Research and commercial exploitation in bacteriology: Silvio Dessy and the Argentine Biological Institute between 1908 and 1947].

Abstract

This paper analyzes the career of Silvio Dessy, an Italian physician who immigrated to Argentina in 1898, to explore the development of science-related professional careers outside the academic field. Dessy combined his work in public research with the commercial exploitation of therapeutic products, culminating in the creation of the Argentine Biological Institute in 1908, a company dedicated to the production of serum and vaccines. Based on Dessy's case, we investigate how, during the early days of bacteriology in Argentina, the development of science was not exclusively linked to public research but also provided opportunities to pursue private initiatives.