It is with great sadness that we announce the passing on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, of Mr. Guido Caputo. Guido retired as a cell biologist from Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Sault Ste, Marie, Canada, in 2013. Guido developed a unique and highly valued expertise in the field of insect cell culture and shared this expertise with members of the scientific community worldwide, via training others and providing novel cell lines to researchers in many areas of forest and agricultural research.
Mr. Caputo started his career in 1974, working with Dr. Sardar Sohi on the development of tissue culture methods for insects of national importance to Canadian forestry, such as the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana). During this time, he participated in the establishment of multiple insect cell lines, which have been used in many scientific publications, notably on insect midgut function and baculovirus replication cycle. After the retirement of Dr. Sohi in 1999, Guido worked under the supervision of Dr. Basil Arif to further deepen our understanding of baculovirus – insect host interactions. This collaboration lasted until the retirement of Dr. Arif in 2010. Guido spent his last years at NRCan developing new cell lines and transmitting his knowledge to his co-workers and summer students. Overall, Guido was involved in the establishment of >125 insect cell lines from a variety of insect orders and tissues, a phenomenal achievement for one person. Mr. Caputo also aided in the development of novel strategies for the mass production of a wide range of insect viruses for use in integrated pest management programs. In many ways, Guido’s dedication to his in vitro craft is the reason why NRCan’s cell and tissue culture has been able to operate without interruption for 60 years.
Guido Caputo (holding his Fellow Award)
Left to right: Mary Ann Lila, Gordon Sato, Guido Caputo (holding his Fellow Award), Cynthia Goodman
Mr. Caputo was an active member of the Society for In Vitro Biology from 1985 – 2009 (inclusive, totaling 25 years). At the 2006 In Vitro Biology Meeting, Mr. Caputo was awarded the Invertebrate Section’s Fellow Award. During his tenure at the SIVB, he helped lead the Invertebrate Section (now part of the In Vitro Animal Cell Sciences Section) as Section Secretary. In this capacity, Guido spent much of his time upgrading the Invertebrate Section membership database, soliciting input from members over numerous issues of importance, and keeping members informed of upcoming events. Mr. Caputo also helped organize and/or participated in several Invertebrate Section sessions, such as the symposium on “Delivery of Genes to Mammalian and Insect Cells with Baculoviruses” at the 2003 meeting in Portland, and the workshop on “Techniques for the Development of New Insect Cell Lines” at the 2005 meeting in Baltimore. Additionally, Guido gave numerous meeting presentations and co-authored a variety of research articles published in In Vitro Cellular and Developmental Biology – Animal. Importantly, Mr. Caputo was a passionate and dedicated mentor to students and young professionals, exuding a warm and welcoming presence to all those around him. With his friendly and engaging personality, Guido inspired newcomers to get involved and make a meaningful contribution to the society.
To summarize, Guido’s impact in the field in insect cell culture is immeasurable and he will be greatly missed for his friendship, collegiality and professionalism.
Submitted by
Dr. Daniel Doucet (NRCan, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada)
Dr. Vivian Dayeh (University of Waterloo, Ontario)
Dr. Cynthia Goodman (Retired, USDA-ARS)
