Ménsua Laboratory is located on the 5th floor of the Faculty of Biological Sciences, in the Burjassot-Paterna Campus. It is named after the founder of the University’s Department of Genetics.

In 1976, José Luis Ménsua started working in the University, when the Faculty of Biology did not exist as such. Only one centre would gather all fields of Basic Science, located in the landmark building of the current Office of the Principal, in the Blasco Ibáñez Campus. The building would hold the first astronomy observatory in Valencia.

After the Science Campus was stablished in Burjassot, the Faculty of Biology was built as we know it today. This faculty was the place where the Department of Genetics was created, and professor Ménsua was the one to become its first director, as well as the first dean of the Faculty.

A total of 140 PhD thesis have been completed in the Department, one of the University’s main research engine. Moreover, more than 2,000 research articles have been published (some of them in ‘Nature’ journal) there. As a result of the Department’s research work, some significant biotechnological companies have been born there through spin-off modality – some of them are currently part of the University’s Science Park.

The pioneering work of the distinguished professor is recognised through the Laboratory’s opening, which now begins operating. He was professor of the first generation of full professors and professors in Genetics in the Universitat de València. His teaching work not only contributed to the training of the professors in the Department, but also most of the current professor in the Faculty, who attended his lectures. Furthermore, hundreds of Biology professionals, currently working in Spain and in prestigious research centres and hospitals from all over the world, were his students.

Ménsua Laboratory has a very high biological security that allows operations with ‘Drosophila melanogaster’ transgenic organisms, a species that has contributed a lot to the progress of Genetics – most of the studies with it are focused on biomedical research.