The University of Chile in Santiago has decided to sell the laboratory in Montemar to build apartments for tourists. We believe that the Montemar laboratory should be preserved as a landmark to commemorate an important period in the history of Chilean biological science. In the early 1960s, a group of Chilean scientists led by Mario Luxoro opened the biophysics laboratory in Montemar, on the Pacific coast near Valparaiso, to study the giant axons of the squid species Dosidicus gigas . In the early 1970s, they extended their research to the Megabalanus psittacus , a large barnacle whose giant muscle fibers provide an excellent model for studying muscle electrophysiology. The several dozen researchers who lived and worked for months at a time in the Montemar laboratory performed breakthrough science there for three decades. When the laboratory was set up, there was limited funding to support science in Chile. Indeed, the laboratory is indistinguishable from the humble houses of the local fishermen. Researchers built much of the equipment with their own hands and had to contend with indifference and a lack of critical scientific mass in Chile. Despite the obstacles, the investigators at Montemar consistently published excellent work [such as ([1][1], [2][2])]. Although the Pinochet dictatorial regime resulted in a massive emigration of Chilean scientists, Montemar remained active until the end of the 1980s. Today, Jose Soto, the former squid fisherman for the lab, maintains the building and gives passionate tours of the house to visitors. Chile should display Montemar with great pride. The laboratory could be a museum displaying the seminal research that was conducted under the most unfavorable conditions and a venue for courses and seminars. Please, don't condemn this valuable piece of Chilean history to demolition. 1. 1.[↵][3] 1. E. Rojas, 2. M. Luxoro , Nature 199, 78 (1963). [OpenUrl][4][PubMed][5] 2. 2.[↵][6] 1. C. Armstrong, 2. F. Bezanilla, 3. E. Rojas , J. Gen. Physiol. 62, 374 (1973). [OpenUrl][7] [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [4]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNature%253B%2BPhysical%2BScience%2B%2528London%2529%26rft.stitle%253DNature%253B%2BPhysical%2BScience%2B%2528London%2529%26rft.aulast%253DRojas%26rft.auinit1%253DE.%26rft.volume%253D199%26rft.spage%253D78%26rft.epage%253D79%26rft.atitle%253DMICRO-INJECTION%2BOF%2BTRYPSIN%2BINTO%2BAXONS%2BOF%2BSQUID.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F14047953%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [5]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=14047953&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F311%2F5769%2F1866.1.atom [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2. in text [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ.%2BGen.%2BPhysiol.%26rft.volume%253D62%26rft.spage%253D374%26rft.atitle%253DJ%2BGEN%2BPHYSIOL%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx