Celebration and farewell, two terms that might initially seem opposite, but do not necessarily have to be. At least, that was the case in yesterday’s farewell ceremony for the retirement of Amparo Monfort. The emotion was evident, given the circumstances; but the overall feeling in the CRAG auditorium was festive. And rightly so: we were paying tribute to one of the center’s most influential, charismatic, and beloved figures. This was demonstrated by the many colleagues who attended and shared moving words of affection and admiration towards the researcher (the director of IRTA, Josep Usall, the researchers and colleagues Pere Puigdomènech, Pere Arús, Jordi García-Mas, María José Aranzana, Carlos Muñoz, and the center’s director and deputy director, L. María Lois and Soraya Pelaz). These testimonies reviewed Amparo’s extensive and prolific career with a common denominator: highlighting her human and professional quality, as well as her leadership skills.

From the communications team, we conducted a short interview to better understand who Amparo Monfort is, because, as the saying goes: “by their words you shall know them”. But first, a brief overview of her professional background. Amparo studied Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Barcelona. She completed her PhD at the Université de Neuchâtel in Switzerland, and later, starting in 1991, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, joining the CSIC that same year. There, she participated, among other projects, in the sequencing of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, forming part of the Spanish team involved in this pioneering European project.

Later she worked on projects related to the melon genome and, in 2002, she joined IRTA, where she began working on strawberry and other berries. Since then, her research has focused on the study of the strawberry genome and the analysis of quantitative traits to improve its properties, as well as on collaboration with companies.

Amparo, first of all, congratulations on your retirement. We have briefly reviewed your career, but we have not yet talked about your relationship with CRAG. What has it been like?

“I began collaborating with Pere Puigdomènech when the CRAG consortium was created, linking CSIC and IRTA. At that time, I was already starting to have an institutional role, as I was the representative of the researchers in the advisory boards where decisions were made. From that board, I collaborated a bit in the design of this building where we are now, where I believe my greatest contribution was in the laboratory furniture. In 2011 we moved to CRAG, and since then, I have been head of the Plant Genetics Department for almost eight years. Later, I became deputy director of Technology Transfer with the team of L. María Lois.”

And how do you see the future of CRAG and the profession in general?

“The future I see is that we must do open science, collaborative science, not only in genetics, but also opening ourselves to other fields and new collaborations. Science today is not so unidirectional; it is much more diverse and translational. I believe CRAG has a very important role in society, academically of course, as we are already doing with master's programs at the university, but also in the professional agricultural and food sector. We cannot work with plants and forget that this is the future in the years to come. That perspective — knowing that strawberries grow in the field — is essential.”

The farewell event at CRAG concluded, as every good celebration does, with a toast during which Amparo, emotional and surrounded by affection, shared these words

“I don’t want to miss the opportunity to thank you all for the support and companionship you’ve given me throughout all these years. I have spent more than twenty years at IRTA and more than 15 at CRAG, where I have always felt valued as a colleague, recognized for my work, and surrounded by people who made my day-to-day life easier. It has been enriching work for me, for IRTA, for CRAG, for the world of agriculture—let us not forget why we are here—where our scientific research contributes to improving the population’s nutrition, and it has been a privilege for me to be part of this journey.
I want to dedicate some words to the colleagues in the laboratory, those of you here now and those who have passed through over the years. You have been an essential part of this stage: technicians, PhD students, students, researchers... I have learned so much alongside you and have always admired your enthusiasm, effort, precision, and the patience with which you work (putting up with researchers is not easy). You have created—and please continue—an environment that is welcoming, collaborative, and full of small things that make each day better; do not stop going down to have breakfast together, it is very important. You are half of my family; we spend half of our lives here, and that is very meaningful. Thank you for your help, your humanity, and for all the moments shared, both difficult and good.
I also want to especially acknowledge the work of the colleagues at Cabrils, Torre Marimon, and CRAG. I speak in the feminine because administrative and scientific services are overwhelmingly made up of women. You have always been there so that everything works; I know it is your job, but when it is done with professionalism, dedication, and often with a smile, it deserves recognition and gratitude (…) A big hug here, in such an international environment as the one we enjoy, and please, let us continue all working to defend a world of peace and harmony. Thank you.”

From here, we wish Amparo all the best in this new and well-deserved stage, where we hope she can read many books without looking at the clock.