Renato Dulbecco was an Italian-American virologist born on February 22, 1914, in Catanzaro, Italy. He is best known for his pioneering work on the interaction between viruses and the genetic material of host cells. His research significantly advanced the understanding of how certain viruses can cause cancer. In 1975, Dulbecco was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his contributions to the field of virology. He shared the prize with David Baltimore and Howard Temin, who also studied the relationship between viruses and cancer. Dulbecco's work laid the foundation for future research in molecular biology and cancer treatment.