Nobel Prize Week: Days One and Two
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007
Chimeric Mouse Embryo
Developed at the
University of Texas at Austin
Congratulations to Mario Capecchi, Sir Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies for each winning 1/3rd of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007 “for their discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells,” meaning this research allows for the production of genetically-modified mice, and gene-targeting, which has opened the door to understanding what specific genes in the mouse genome do by “knocking out” the genes. 10,000 mouse genes have been knocked out so far. This research, which has been going on for nearly 30 years now, sets the foundation for identifying the genes behind human diseases, targeting them, and one day straining them out of our genome.
Breakdown of this important research here.
Also, from the Scientist who made the above mouse, Shan Maika, when I requested permission to use this photo:
this mouse embryo was the result of crossing a transgenic mouse I made here at my facility (S100-rtTA) with a Tet-On/Lac Z mouse and then administering doxycycline (in the drinking water) to the mother during gestation. Below is what the student sent me when he gave me the picture to use on the website.
The LacZ transgene expressed in Schwann cells and visualized via histochemnistry for beta-galactosidase. We used the S100B-promoter (a glial selective promoter) to drive the expression of the reverse transcription Trans-activator (rtTA). Because this system is base on the Tet-On conditional gene expression system (Fruth et al., 1996….I think)all I have to do is feed these animals tetracycline or one of its derivatives (ie Doxycycline) to activate transcription of LacZ in the Schwann cells.
- Shan Miaka, Mouse Genetic Engineering Facility
Toshiba Hard Drive
4GB Data Storage
Congratulations to Albert Fert and Peter Grunberg for each winning 1/2 of the “for the discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance.” Regarded as one of the first major applications of nanotechnology, and was a crucial discovery in the development of smaller and smaller data-storage:
…the ongoing IT-revolution depends on an intricate interplay between fundamental scientific progress and technical fine tuning. This is just what the Nobel Prize in Physics for the year 2007 is about.
An entry-level explanation of the discoveries here (PDF).
A more technical explanation here (PDF).
The fact that nobel prizes seem to be going more and more to several people working on the same research is a symptom of how complex progress has become. Fading away are the days of lone inventors and scientists revolutionizing a field single-handedly. The Great Man Theory was always an overly-simplistic view of human history, and one that has given people distorted views of their place in society. I have seen the future, and it is wiki-style collaborations. One day the Nobel prize in Physics will be split sixteen ways.
Chimeric Mouse Embryo Developed at the University of Texas at Austin |
Congratulations to Mario Capecchi, Sir Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies for each winning 1/3rd of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007 “for their discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells,” meaning this research allows for the production of genetically-modified mice, and gene-targeting, which has opened the door to understanding what specific genes in the mouse genome do by “knocking out” the genes. 10,000 mouse genes have been knocked out so far. This research, which has been going on for nearly 30 years now, sets the foundation for identifying the genes behind human diseases, targeting them, and one day straining them out of our genome.
Breakdown of this important research here.
Also, from the Scientist who made the above mouse, Shan Maika, when I requested permission to use this photo:
this mouse embryo was the result of crossing a transgenic mouse I made here at my facility (S100-rtTA) with a Tet-On/Lac Z mouse and then administering doxycycline (in the drinking water) to the mother during gestation. Below is what the student sent me when he gave me the picture to use on the website.
The LacZ transgene expressed in Schwann cells and visualized via histochemnistry for beta-galactosidase. We used the S100B-promoter (a glial selective promoter) to drive the expression of the reverse transcription Trans-activator (rtTA). Because this system is base on the Tet-On conditional gene expression system (Fruth et al., 1996….I think)all I have to do is feed these animals tetracycline or one of its derivatives (ie Doxycycline) to activate transcription of LacZ in the Schwann cells.
- Shan Miaka, Mouse Genetic Engineering Facility
| Toshiba Hard Drive 4GB Data Storage |
Congratulations to Albert Fert and Peter Grunberg for each winning 1/2 of the “for the discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance.” Regarded as one of the first major applications of nanotechnology, and was a crucial discovery in the development of smaller and smaller data-storage:
…the ongoing IT-revolution depends on an intricate interplay between fundamental scientific progress and technical fine tuning. This is just what the Nobel Prize in Physics for the year 2007 is about.
An entry-level explanation of the discoveries here (PDF).
A more technical explanation here (PDF).
The fact that nobel prizes seem to be going more and more to several people working on the same research is a symptom of how complex progress has become. Fading away are the days of lone inventors and scientists revolutionizing a field single-handedly. The Great Man Theory was always an overly-simplistic view of human history, and one that has given people distorted views of their place in society. I have seen the future, and it is wiki-style collaborations. One day the Nobel prize in Physics will be split sixteen ways.
