A review.Rapamycin (also known by its generic name, sirolimus) is a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor and is used as an immunosuppressant mainly in special circumstances such as skin cancer or in other situations where calcineurin inhibitor avoidance is desirable.This island has captured the minds of explorers for more than a century, but plans for an airport in 1966 threatened to disrupt the biosphere of this unique ecol. niche.More widely, soil samples have been quite beneficial for transplant nephrol., given that not only rapamycin, but also cyclosporine and tacrolimus were discovered in this way.Current and future nephrologists, especially those working with transplant patients, should remember the events and personalities leading to this discovery.