Science and the World’s FutureScience and the World’s Future

University of GenevaSeptember 12, 2011September 12, 2011

Bruce Alberts, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Editor-in-Chief, Science magazine

 

Talk Outline:Talk Outline:

1. A little personal history

2. Some important policies for strengthening science around the world

I was a high school student, when the revolution in biology began with the Watson and Crick structure for DNA in 1953

Watson was only Watson was only 25 years old25 years old

Watson

Crick

Jim Watson today

As Jim Watson aged, dramatic progress was made in As Jim Watson aged, dramatic progress was made in our understanding of how chromosomes replicateour understanding of how chromosomes replicate

What are the proteins that catalyze the What are the proteins that catalyze the reaction, and how do they copy the two reaction, and how do they copy the two

anti-parallel DNA stands in the DNA double anti-parallel DNA stands in the DNA double helix?helix?

There were many puzzles to unravel and it was great fun to try to solve them

1965 – 1966, a 1965 – 1966, a wonderful year in wonderful year in

Geneva as a post-Geneva as a post-doctoral student doctoral student

with Alfred Tissieres with Alfred Tissieres and Dick Epstein and Dick Epstein

(Institut de Biologie (Institut de Biologie Moleculaire)Moleculaire)

• Introduced to bacteriophage T4

• Developed DNA-cellulose affinity chromatography

• Met Uli Laemmli (would soon recruit him to Princeton)

Dick Epstein, July 2009Dick Epstein, July 2009

1966 - 1986, my lab worked with bacteriophage T41966 - 1986, my lab worked with bacteriophage T4A model organism for studying DNA replicationA model organism for studying DNA replication

Discovery of the “protein machine” that makes a Discovery of the “protein machine” that makes a new DNA helix by copying an old one, as new DNA helix by copying an old one, as

predicted by Watson and Crickpredicted by Watson and Crick

We now know that life is possible because We now know that life is possible because of the of the thousands of different types of thousands of different types of protein machines protein machines in each cell in our bodies, in each cell in our bodies, each with a different functioneach with a different function..

Most of them remain to be understood – we Most of them remain to be understood – we know many of their components, but not how know many of their components, but not how they work.they work.

Understanding Understanding eacheach protein machine is one of protein machine is one of many great challenges for young scientists!many great challenges for young scientists!

The magic of protein machines is best The magic of protein machines is best appreciated by a appreciated by a moviemovie that shows such a that shows such a machine in action – the protein machine that machine in action – the protein machine that replicates DNA. replicates DNA.

The movie was made by Bruce Stillman at the Cold The movie was made by Bruce Stillman at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, as part of the 50 year Spring Harbor Laboratory, as part of the 50 year DNA celebration there. It can be found on DNA celebration there. It can be found on Cold Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning Center websiteSpring Harbor DNA Learning Center website in the in the section that deals with section that deals with “Copying the code”.“Copying the code”.

How does a protein machine work?

Click here to see this video of DNA replication:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3aigv7w4A

The world looks so different after learning science. For example, trees are made of air, primarily. When they are burned, they go back to air, and in the flaming heat is released the flaming heat of the sun which was bound in to convert the air into tree. And in the ash is the small remnant of the part which did not come from air, that came from the solid earth, instead. These things are beautiful things, and the content of science is wonderfully full of them. They are very inspiring, and they can be used to inspire others. 

Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize in physics

The beauty of scienceThe beauty of science