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\datereceived{2024-02-06}
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%\def\cdr@specialtitle@english{A tribute to Fran\c{c}ois Gros, a founding father of molecular biology}
%\def\cdr@specialtitle@french{Un hommage \`a Fran\c{c}ois Gros, un des p\`eres de la biologie mol\'eculaire}
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\title{A tribute to Fran\c{c}ois Gros, a founding father of molecular
biology: Foreword}
\alttitle{Un hommage à François Gros, un des pères de la biologie moléculaire : Avant-propos}

\author{\firstname{Margaret} \lastname{Buckingham}\CDRorcid{0009-0007-7290-9239}\IsCorresp}
\address{Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, CNRS UMR
3738, Institut~Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France}
\email[M. Buckingham]{margaret.buckingham@pasteur.fr}

\author{\firstname{Moshe} \lastname{Yaniv}\CDRorcid{0000-0001-7900-6322}}
\addressSameAs{1}{Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology,
CNRS UMR 3738, Institut~Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France}
\email[M. Yaniv]{moshe.yaniv@pasteur.fr}

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Fran\c{c}ois Gros died last year. He was among the pioneers of the
nascent discipline of molecular biology, and worked for most of his
scientific career at the Institut Pasteur where he was Director from
1976 to 1981. He took part in developing the concept of messenger RNA
with Jacques Monod and Fran\c{c}ois Jacob. During his stay in Jim
Watson's lab at Harvard, using biochemical approaches he discovered a
class of unstable RNA, published in a classic paper---Gros \etal\ in
\textit{Nature} (1961). This was critical for the confirmation of the
messenger RNA theory to which he continued to contribute on his return
to the Institut Pasteur.\looseness=-1

Subsequently, in his own lab, he carried out research on mRNA
transcription and translation in bacteria and also in eukaryotic
systems, first at the Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique (IBPC) and
then at the Institut Pasteur from 1972. He became interested in changes
in gene expression during cell differentiation, using muscle cells as a
model and also neuronal cells in his second laboratory at the
Coll\`{e}ge de France. Those who worked with him greatly benefited from
his scientific insight and his generous support.

He also made major contributions to the organisation of scientific
research and scientific policy in France. He was director of the
Institut Pasteur \mbox{(1976--1981)} and then chief scientific
advisor to prime ministers of the government (1981--1985) during the
Mitterrand presidency. During his career, he participated in writing a
number of important reports both for the government and later as
permanent secretary of the Acad\'{e}mie des Sciences (1991--2000) when
he also strongly supported scientific co-operation with developing
countries, particularly in Africa.

In April 2023, a meeting was held in his honour, with a morning session
at the Institut Pasteur that focused on RNA, where speakers included
the Nobel Prize winners Venki Ramakrishnan and Emmanuelle Charpentier,
and an afternoon session at the Institut de France where his
contributions to the Academy were recognised.

This volume of the \textit{Comptes Rendus Biologies} also honours
Fran\c{c}ois Gros. It contains a biographical text written by C. Petit
and P. Kourisky, professors at the Coll\`{e}ge de France, followed by
an article by \mbox{J.-P.~Changeux} who has known him from the time when they
were both working with Jacques Monod. Subsequent articles are by
previous collaborators in his laboratories at the IBPC, Institut
Pasteur and Coll\`{e}ge de France. Two articles on RNA from speakers at
the Pasteur meeting in his honour are followed by articles by
colleagues that commemorate his actions at the Academy.

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