We’re sad to share the passing of Professor Emeritus Domenico (Meco) Bernoco on October 27, 2023. Born on April 06, 1935, in Cherasco, Italy, Bernoco received his DVM (summa cum laude) in 1959 and Ph.D. in 1971 from the University Torino, Italy. He was one of the leading researchers on the human major histocompatibility research in the 1960s and 70s. 

He served as assistant professor of medical genetics at the University of Torino from 1961-1970 with an interval at the laboratory of Professor Clyde Stormont at UC Davis in 1967 (NATO fellowship), before moving on as a founding Member of the Basel Institute for Immunology (Switzerland) until 1976, the director of which, Niels K. Jerne with Milstein and Koehler, received the Nobel Prize in 1984.

Bernoco came to the U.S. to take a position at UCLA as an associate research immunologist at the Tissue Typing Laboratory (HLA antigens) in the Surgery Department, directed by Dr. Paul Terasaki, from 1977-1981. From there, he came to UC Davis where he spent the rest of his notable career in immunogenetics as associate professor in the former Department of Reproduction before it became Population Health and Reproduction.  

Bernoco was an early leader in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) typing in animals and led research on cattle and horses in that field before he retired from the University in 1993. He continued as co-owner of the private Stormont Laboratories in Woodland, typing blood groups in cattle and horses for breeding purposes until 2006, when the laboratory closed. Bernoco also became an active participant in the horse genome workshop at its outset in 1995. At the end of each workshop, he often was the loud voice of reason that enabled shared science and pushed horse genetics forward. In fact, many of his efforts allowed for the development of the first tools for mapping traits in horses. 

Harris Lewin, distinguished professor emeritus of Evolution and Ecology, and Population Health and Reproduction at UC Davis, and former UC Davis Vice Chancellor for Research, was a Ph.D. student of Bernoco from 1981 to 1984. Named as “Meco’s Echo,” Lewin credits Bernoco for providing hard-nosed mentorship that led to his career success.

“Meco had extraordinary analytical abilities and deep knowledge in immunogenetics that he passed on to me as student,” Lewin said. “There was no one better at making sense of complex data sets and sorting out data artifacts and anomalies. His research led to the discovery of the HLA-C locus and he was the world’s leading expert in MHC and disease associations for many years. Moreover, despite his bluster, Meco was one of the kindest people I have ever known.”   

Dr. Rebecca Bellone, professor in the Department of Population Health and Reproduction, fondly recalls Bernoco as her research grandfather and vital to the foundation of the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL), a laboratory with an international reputation of being expert in veterinary genetics testing. She also credits him for many of the early advances in horse genetics.

“My students have heard me say many times: ‘garbage in equals garbage out’ and ‘show me the data’ when I review their writing. Please hear my thickest Italian accent as you read. I am very proud that these are words he taught me and would say frequently to his mentees and other scientists to ensure the best science was happening. 

While Clyde Stormont was credited for creating the VGL, he and Dr. Bernoco worked closely to develop blood typing and to mentor students. I was lucky enough to be mentored by Bernoco in graduate school and beyond as he often visited Kentucky while I was in graduate school and while I was there as a visiting scientist during my early career as a faculty. 

My students will know that he is the reason I make them look at their data many times and from some many different angles. One of the most important things he taught me was taking responsibility for any data you generate, analyze, or publish. While he completely retired in 2006, he was always a proud supporter of the VGL—even offering me advice and assistance just a few weeks ago. 

He will be sadly missed but I feel comforted in knowing his legacy lives on."