He is a global pioneer on research and technological development work in molecular biology and biotechnology, particularly in isolating, characterizing and manipulating genes in microorganisms. He was a member of the group of researchers that first produced human proteins in bacteria utilizing genetic engineering techniques. His work in the area of metabolic pathway engineering in microorganisms is outstanding, and he also is a pioneer of genetic modification for the design and optimization of socially and commercially interesting metabolite and protein producing microorganisms. 

Dr. Bolívar Zapata is a member of El Colegio Nacional [The National College]. He is a past president of the Academia Mexicana de Ciencias [Mexican Academy of Sciences]; he is a Member of the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias de la Presidencia de la República (CCC) [Science Consulting Council of the President’s Office]. He promoted and was in charge of drafting the Initiative of the Ley para el Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Tecnológica [Law to Foster Scientific and Technological Research], unanimously approved by Congress in 1999, and for the Iniciativa para la Creación de la Comisión Intersecretarial de Bioseguridad y Organismos Genéticamente Modificados [Initiative to Create the Inter-Ministerial Commission on Biosafety and Genetically Modified Organisms]. He is a former director of the Instituto de Biotecnología [Institute of Biotechnology], Member of the Board of Directors of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) [Autonomous Metropolitan University], and of the Junta de Gobierno [Governing Board] of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico]. 

Dr. Bolívar has received the Premio Príncipe de Asturias en Investigación Científica y Técnica [Prince of Asturias Prize for Scientific and Technical Research]; the Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes [National Award for Science and Arts]; the Premio Nacional de Química [National Chemistry Award]; the Premio Investigación en Ciencias Naturales de la Academia Mexicana de Ciencias [Natural Sciences Research Prize from the Mexican Academy of Sciences]; the Premio Manuel Noriega en Ciencia y Tecnología, OEA [Manuel Noriega Prize for Science and Technology] from the Organization of American States (OAS)]; the Premio Universidad Nacional [Universidad Nacional Prize]; the TWAS Award in Biology; the Premio Luis Elizondo [Luis Elizondo Prize] from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) [Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Learning]. The University of Liege, Belgium, awarded him an Honoris Causa doctorate and has been recognized and distinguished by the universities of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Morelos and Benemérita de Puebla.

He has over 160 publications in journals and books, which have been cited over 11,600 times in world literature, including 600 citations in over 220 text and specialized books. As teacher and tutor he has participated in several educational programs and has tutored more than 50 theses, most of them for graduate work. He has written and edited books in an effort to disseminate scientific knowledge, including five volumes of his scientific work.