Nordic Life Science 1
44 “When you share in a community, ideas pop up.
Brainstorming and collaborating are fuels for success and that makes science fun.” Research has also linked microRNAs in circulation to the presence of tumors.” Ambros is continuing to use C. elegans in his research and a new gene editing tool has opened new opportunities, he says. “One of the recent revolutions has been the emergence of the CRISPR genome editing technology. We can design a mutation and identify parts of the gene that we want to mutate,” he notes. “We’re focusing on detailed molecular mechanisms and we’re interested in how microRNA and its partner proteins work together. When a microRNA binds to a messenger RNA target it brings with it a protein, Argonaute, which acts upon the messenger RNA to repress protein production. Mutations in human Argonaute proteins are involved with a class of neurodevelopmental disorders called Argonaute syndrome. While the number of people identified thus far with this condition is not large, many have come forward to participate in studies.” Ambros jokes at age 70, he doesn’t have long term goals, but he has a desire to continue his research and investigate Argonaute syndrome and other new diseases. “I’m fascinated by how Argonaute proteins work together with microRNAs,” he says. “Since there are human diseases traced to Argonaute mutations, these mutations can help scientists better understand Argonaute molecular mechanisms, and also better understand the Argonaute Syndrome condition. Remarkably, these patients are gifting to scientists these very informative mutations that we haven’t had access to before.” Aspired to go to MIT Ambros traces his interest in science and nature to growing up on a farm in Vermont. He was one of eight children and everyone had to pitch in to keep things running. “We always had to be doing something,” he says. But when his chores were done, he had time to fish, hunt, and explore nearby areas, he says. He also liked working with his hands and learned from an early age that if he needed something, first try building it – a philosophy he still follows in his work today. In school Ambros excelled in math and science, and aspired to go to MIT for as long as he could remember. It was also at MIT that he met his wife and co-researcher, senior scientist Rosalind Lee, when they were undergraduates. Lee has worked as his Lab Manager since 1986 and she was part of the research team and first author on the 1993 paper about microRNA. Ambros marvels at her juggling abilities. “She carried in her head the needs of the family and all the people in the lab. Without her I wouldn’t be here,” he says. The couple is now looking forward to attending the Nobel Prize festivities in Stockholm together with their three sons and their spouses. Fuels for success Ambros adds that he was fortunate with the way his career evolved, thanks to both circumstances and caring people. “I view my career as lucky,” he explains. “Things happened, I didn’t make choices, I fell into labs and had supportive mentors.” He also urges those entering research to seek mentors and colleagues who are helpful to them and to collaborate as much as possible. “Share your findings, don’t be secretive,” he continues. “Some others might be emphasizing being secretive but the sharing of information was critical for me and Ruvkun going forward. Gary and I could have chosen to compete and we’d have been in a different place if we had made that decision. It would have taken much longer to make the discovery. When you share in a community, ideas pop up. Brainstorming and collaborating are fuels for success and that makes science fun.” The science landscape in the US continues to look strong, according to Ambros. “The research community is steadily diversifying,” he notes. “Scientists always say there is not enough funding and they must compete for grants. I’m grateful to have been funded my whole career. Right now, there is a lot of talent coming through the pipelines and people come from all over the world to the US to do science, and that is one of the most important things for us to maintain.” NLS THE NOBEL PRIZE // PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE