The life and contributions of Marc H. V. van Regenmortel
Marc van Regenmortel, who died on November 21, 2024, was a monumental figure in the development of virus taxonomy. In addition to his contributions as a distinguished virologist and immunologist, he took a profound interest in the philosophy of taxonomy and the task of producing a virus taxonomy of practical value. As President and Life Member of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), he was instrumental in extending virus taxonomy (based on hierarchical classes in a Linnaean format) with the formal recognition and definition of virus species; initiating a scientific debate that continues to this day. He was also co-editor of Virus Taxonomy, the 7th ICTV Taxonomy Report (2000), the definitive treatise of its time. For these, and many other seminal contributions, Marc van Regenmortel will be remembered by virus taxonomists and virologists alike.
Posted November 25, 2024