Eclet. Quim. 49 | e-1535, 2024 

 
 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618.eq.v49.2024.e1535 

 

 ISSN 1678-4618 page 1/1 

1University of Araraquara, Araraquara, Brazil. 2São Paulo State University, Institute of Chemistry, Araraquara, Brazil. +Corresponding author: Antonio Carlos Massabni, 

Phone: +55 16 3301-9630, Email address: amassabni@uol.com.br 

Original Article 

 

- 

In memoriam of Cecilia Laluce (1940 - 2023) 
Antonio Carlos Massabni1,2+ , Maria Célia Bertolini2  

 

 
In 2019 Professor Cecilia Laluce, then serving as an 

emeritus professor since 2010, joined the Institute of Chemistry of 

Araraquara (IQAr) for the last time. The COVID-19 pandemic 

prevented face-to-face encounters at the university until 2021. We 

met again sometime later, when Cecilia was already diagnosed 

with colon cancer followed by a stroke, both of which left her with 

numerous sequels. Native from Birigui (SP), Cecilia passed away 

on May 23 at the age of 83 in Araçatuba (SP), to where was 

transferred at the end of 2022 and remained for a few months until 

her passing, closely accompanied by a few relatives. 

Laluce was part of the first IQAr's graduating chemistry 

class with both bachelor and teacher degrees from the former 

Chemistry Department in the Faculty of Science and Letters of 

Araraquara (FCLAr), in 1964 and 1965 respectively, standing out 

as one of the top students. As a third-year undergraduate student, 

Cecilia was already collaborating in the Biochemistry Laboratory, 

assisting the practical classes under the supervision of the 

Biochemistry Professor Rubens Molinari. In 1965, Laluce started 

her teaching career, as an assistant professor, and in 1973, she 

completed her PhD in the same institution. In 1976, the creation 

of UNESP led to an academic and administrative reorganization 

of the university, resulting in the establishment of IQAr in 1977, 

where Cecilia became a professor in the Biochemistry Department. 

She was a pioneer in the research area of Applied Microbiology. 

Laluce dedicated almost her entire life to the Institute of 

Chemistry both as a teacher and researcher; the Institute of 

Chemistry was her second home. As a result of her outstanding  

work capacity and ease in establishing scientific interactions, she 

established many collaborations throughout her academic career, 

in Brazil and other countries. She was the first woman from IQAr 

to carry out a Postdoctoral Internship abroad, first at the Faculty 

of Medicine in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1980, and later at the 

University of Colorado, USA, from 1981 to 1982. Always in 

pursuit of knowledge and scientific improvement, she participated 

in numerous national and international conferences, presented 

lectures, and received several awards and honorable mentions. She 

was the first woman to become a Full Professor at IQAr. At a time 

when research in the field of Technology was still embrionary at 

UNESP, Cecilia coordinated, in the 1980s, a project sponsored by 

the Banco do Brasil Foundation, in collaboration with some 

department colleagues, aimed at developing improved yeast strains 

for the alcoholic fermentation process. At that time, the National 

Ethanol Program (Proálcool) was created, and the project under 

her coordination significantly impacted the academic community. 

From then on, her research activities were concentrated on projects 

related to Applied Microbiology including a partnership with the 

Biotechnology Center of Fleischmann & Royal. She became a 

reference researcher in alcoholic fermentation, and the results of 

her work were recognized by the scientific community. 

The entire Institute of Chemistry body in Araraquara 

immensely appreciates her scientific legacy and dedication to the 

development of science and technology in Brazil. 

 
 
Article History 

Received December 31, 2023 

Accepted January 15, 2024 

Published February 02, 2024 

 
Section Editor 

Assis Vicente Benedetti 

https://doi.org/10.26850/1678-4618.eq.v49.2024.e1535
https://ror.org/04qxpma28
https://ror.org/00987cb86
mailto:amassabni@uol.com.br
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4190-1505
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5319-2710