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Listen "Ambros and Ruvkun: Curious case of MicroRNA (Nobel Prize in Medicine 2024)"
Episode Synopsis
Welcome to Revise and Resubmit, where we dive deep into the breakthroughs that change the world, one discovery at a time. Today’s episode celebrates a landmark achievement in the world of molecular biology—an achievement that has reshaped our understanding of life itself.
In 2024, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two remarkable scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, for their discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Imagine this: Every cell in your body holds the same DNA, yet each cell functions differently—muscle cells, nerve cells, even skin cells, all with distinct roles. How does that happen? The answer lies in gene regulation, a complex dance that ensures the right instructions are followed. And at the heart of this dance is microRNA, a tiny molecule with enormous influence.
Their discovery, first met with skepticism, has now unveiled a new dimension in biology, revealing how these tiny strands of RNA control the very blueprint of life. From preventing diseases to guiding human development, microRNAs are critical players in how our bodies function. But here’s the curious part—could there be even more layers of gene regulation waiting to be discovered?
Stay tuned as we explore this groundbreaking discovery and its far-reaching implications. Thank you to both Nobel Laureates and the The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet for recognizing this pioneering work.
Reference
Lee RC, Feinbaum RL, Ambros V. The C. elegans heterochronic gene lin-4 encodes small RNAs with antisense complementarity to lin-14. Cell. 1993;75(5):843-854. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(93)90529-y
Pasquinelli AE, Reinhart BJ, Slack F, Martindale MQ, Kurodak MI, Maller B, Hayward DC, Ball EE, Degnan B, Müller P, Spring J, Srinvasan A, Fishman M, Finnerty J, Corbo J, Levine M, Leahy P, Davidson E, Ruvkun G. Conservation of the sequence and temporal expression of let-7 heterochronic regulatory RNA. Nature. 2000;408(6808):86-89. doi:10.1038/35040556
Press release. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Wed. 9 Oct 2024. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2024/press-release/
Wightman B, Ha I, Ruvkun G. Posttranscriptional regulation of the heterochronic gene lin-14 by lin-4 mediates temporal pattern formation in C. elegans. Cell. 1993;75(5):855-862. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(93)90530-4
In 2024, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two remarkable scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, for their discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Imagine this: Every cell in your body holds the same DNA, yet each cell functions differently—muscle cells, nerve cells, even skin cells, all with distinct roles. How does that happen? The answer lies in gene regulation, a complex dance that ensures the right instructions are followed. And at the heart of this dance is microRNA, a tiny molecule with enormous influence.
Their discovery, first met with skepticism, has now unveiled a new dimension in biology, revealing how these tiny strands of RNA control the very blueprint of life. From preventing diseases to guiding human development, microRNAs are critical players in how our bodies function. But here’s the curious part—could there be even more layers of gene regulation waiting to be discovered?
Stay tuned as we explore this groundbreaking discovery and its far-reaching implications. Thank you to both Nobel Laureates and the The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet for recognizing this pioneering work.
Reference
Lee RC, Feinbaum RL, Ambros V. The C. elegans heterochronic gene lin-4 encodes small RNAs with antisense complementarity to lin-14. Cell. 1993;75(5):843-854. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(93)90529-y
Pasquinelli AE, Reinhart BJ, Slack F, Martindale MQ, Kurodak MI, Maller B, Hayward DC, Ball EE, Degnan B, Müller P, Spring J, Srinvasan A, Fishman M, Finnerty J, Corbo J, Levine M, Leahy P, Davidson E, Ruvkun G. Conservation of the sequence and temporal expression of let-7 heterochronic regulatory RNA. Nature. 2000;408(6808):86-89. doi:10.1038/35040556
Press release. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Wed. 9 Oct 2024. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2024/press-release/
Wightman B, Ha I, Ruvkun G. Posttranscriptional regulation of the heterochronic gene lin-14 by lin-4 mediates temporal pattern formation in C. elegans. Cell. 1993;75(5):855-862. doi:10.1016/0092-8674(93)90530-4
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