Dear Evaluation Committee,
I am honored to nominate Elizabeth H. Blackburn for consideration for the 2020 Carleton Prize for Biotechnology. She dedicated her life to biotechnology in studying and researching to understand the genetic formation in living things. She has demonstrated extraordinary work to the public through her studies, to the extent of earning a Nobel Peace Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009 (Nobel Peace Prize, n.d). The prize came as a result of discovering the molecular components of telomeres, the outside linings of chromosomes that act as shielding elements for preserving genetic data. She also co-discovered the telomerase enzyme that preserves telomeres' ends.
Blackburn was born on November 26, 1948, in Hobart city, Tasmania Island, in the southern parts of Australia. She was born to physician parents, and their profession influenced her to develop a curiosity in the knowledge of living things from a tender age. Her parents moved to Melbourne in her adolescence, where Blackburn joined Melbourne's University High School. During this time, she furthered her interest in science through the influence of her science teacher. She pursued her bachelor as well as a master’s degree in biology from the University of Melbourne in Australia. Blackburn’s professors advised her to further her studies, and she undertook her Ph.D. in Cambridge, England, and completed her Ph.D. in 1975. She further studied post-doctoral studies in molecular and Cellular biology at Yale University under supervision in Dr. Joseph Gall laboratory (All Achievers, n.d). Blackburn’s outstanding academic performance prepared her for her contributions to research and discoveries in biotechnology.
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During her time at Yale University, Blackburn studied chromosomes, their structures and composition, and replication. Her stay at Yale University ignited her interest in exploring the occurrence of telomeres human cells. Telomeres are minute structures that seal the edges of chromosomes to give the gene cells their stability. In 1977, Blackburn shifted to California, where she continued with her studies on telomere projections' nature in chromosomes. She worked as a research fellow at UCSF. Her experience in research on chromosomes made her an assistant professor at the University of California in 1978 (All Achievers, n.d). She has major life achievements in biotechnology, which makes here more exemplary. She chaired the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in San Francisco University for seven years. She is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in Morris Herzstein. I 2015, Blackburn was the president of Salk Institute, and she retired in 2017 to focus on policies that furthered ethics in biotechnology. She served in the Council on Bioethics in President Bush’s administration from 2001, but she was politically fired in 2004 due to her support for research in human stem cells. Despite the dishonorable dismissal, Elizabeth enjoys honors from the American Society for Cell Biology in 1998 and in 2010 from the American Association for Cancer Research. In 2007, she appeared in TIME Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world. In 2010, she received an honor by being named a Companion of the Order of Australia (Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, n.d).
Elizabeth’s Contribution to the field of Biotechnology
Blackburn focused on sequencing DNA found in Tetrahymena. She received grants to facilitate her research in Tetrahymena telomeres and their different proteins. She used different methods in her studies, such as Sanger's method, to conduct enzymatic reactions. Blackburn later applied gel-electrophoresis as well as depurination processes to discover patterns of bands that formed her foundation in the innovation of telomere enzyme activity. Blackburn failed many times in her experiments with telomeres proteins, but she never gave up on her objective in exploring telomere enzyme activity.
After Elizabeth Blackburn and her colleagues were awarded the Nobel Prize for cracking the DNA code on preserving telomeres ends, the media buzzed. Many analysts considered the breakthrough the 'secret of life,’ and it was hailed as the ‘fountain of youth.’ Blackburn made a breakthrough in discovering the enzyme that forms telomere DNA, allowing the DNA strands to divide with no harm in the process of cell division during the body development. The team explored the possibility of DNA being formed from an unidentified enzyme. On December 25, 1984, Blackburn and her co-researcher, Greider, discovered that the Telomerase enzyme had RNA design of CCCCAA sequence plus proteins, giving room for the enzyme to manufacture longer telomeres. Blackburn furthered the research to show that telomere’s ability to shorten in the presence of Tetrahymena could result from mutating telomeres by itself (Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, n.d). Elizabeth’s research found that telomerase is a two-edged sword in human beings. Shortening telomere in normal body cells can increase some common and severe diseases associated with aging. When short telomeres hasten the feature of the aging method, long telomeres reduce its speed.
Importance of Blackburn’s Contributions to Biotechnology
Blackburn provided the basis for research on stimulating telomere elongation in sick cells found in different diseases, such as cancer and anemia, an important discovery in biotechnology that aids the search for a cure in diseases. However, despite the discovery and media analysis and speculation, controlling telomeres shortening does not guarantee the aging process's prevention or delay, mainly because telomerase is majorly vigorous in malignant cancerous cells. Thus, more research is underway to examine the consequence of target telomerase in cancer cells that have already developed malignancy. The research formed a consciousness in the scientific research society, and the news created a huge enthusiasm for a possibility for a cancer cure or control of the aging process. However, Blackburn explained that it was a step towards inquiry on different speculations resulting from their findings. Over time, the research may contribute to new treatment or management for degenerative diseases.
Tetrahymena's research and experiments are popular in scientific research, and it was very significant in evaluating telomeres protein activity. The methodology is used since cells have the capacity to undo telomeres shortening in the presence of telomerase protein. The enzyme also extends chromosomes’ telomeres in DNA. Telomeres enhance cell division while retaining genes that are crucial in cell regeneration. Lack of telomeres causes chromosomes ends to join; an action that would corrupt significant genetic processes that would cause malignancy or death of the cells (Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, n.d).
Elizabeth Blackburn deserves the reward due to her achievements and contribution to biotechnology in understanding cell division in human cells. Her findings can be found in her book “ The Telomere Effect: The New Science of Living Younger, ” which was published in 2017 to feature the relationship between healthy living, telomeres, health, and long life. As such, biotechnology will have a reference from her work, and more researchers will seek to further her search to enhance better life. Her support for critical scientific research is crucial, and she has become a mentor and a role model to many scientists in biotechnology.
References
All Achievers (n.d). Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D: Nobel Prize in Medicine . https://achievement.org/achiever/elizabeth-blackburn/
Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings (n.d). Pro. Dr. Elizabeth H. Blackburn . https://www.mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org/laureates/blackburn
The Nobel Prize (n.d). Elizabeth H. Blackburn Facts . https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2009/blackburn/facts/
