The scientific Laboratories at the Junta para Ampliación de Estudios en Investigación Científica (JAE) and the Residencia de Estudiantes (1912-1939)

Abstract

The policy of promoting fellowships abroad by the JAE for young scientist had an important complement in the foundation of a series of small scientific laboratories and research centres joined basically under the National Institute of Science and the Residencia de Estudiantes. The present article offers a general perspective of the activities developed by some of those laboratories, their main protagonists and research groups, particularly those related to biomedical research. The scientific task developed by the Instituto Cajal and the Natural Sciences Museum is not directly considered, since other contributions in this monographic issue regard those institutions. The process of creation of small teaching and research laboratories since 1912 is shown, and their participation in the university experimental teaching during the 1920s, especially regarding the Residencia de Estudiantes laboratories. Among them, the Laboratory of General Physiology leaded by Juan Negrín. The significance of his physiological school is shown as well as the starting point of the scientific career of Severo Ochoa.