Science | Bay Area scientists awarded White House Science and Technology Medals

A Stanford professor who found a novel approach to the age-old dream of regenerating the body from its own cells has been awarded the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for outstanding scientific achievement.

Helen BlueProfessor of microbiology and immunology and director of the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at Stanford, was amongst 14 researchers named by President Biden on Jan. 3 to receive the award at a White House ceremony this 12 months.

Helen Blau, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology and director of the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at Stanford University.
Helen Blau, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology and director of the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology at Stanford University.

The UC Berkeley biochemist was also honored Jennifer Doudnawho also won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and is a Stanford cardiologist Dr. Paul YockEmeritus Professor of Bioengineering and Cardiovascular Medicine.

Doudna was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for inventing CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing. Yock, who also received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, invented the rapid exchange angioplasty catheter, which simplified cardiac procedures and significantly improved safety. He also developed the mechanical intravascular ultrasound system.

Established by Congress and awarded annually, the medals recognize exceptional knowledge and outstanding contributions to science and technology. The two pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and Moderna, which have developed life-saving vaccines to guard against COVID-19, were also honored.

“Those who receive these awards embody the promise of America by pushing the boundaries of what is possible,” the White House said in a press release. “These pioneers have harnessed the power of science and technology to tackle challenging problems and deliver innovative solutions for Americans and communities around the world.”

Blau, Doudna and the 21 other honorees were honored at a ceremony hosted by Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, within the Indian Treaty Room of the White House Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Decorated with Italian and French marble plaques, the room was the scene of the signing of the United Nations Charter and the Bretton Woods Agreement, which established the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Two special receptions followed.

Arati Prabhkakar, Ph.D., Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, presents the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Paul Yock at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington DC
Arati Prabhkakar, Ph.D., Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, presents the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Paul Yock on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington DC

Other scientists are studying areas starting from changing ice sheets to next-generation wind turbines to mobile communications and the event of the mobile phone.

In her research, Blau discovered that cells could also be more versatile than originally thought. The focus of her work is on “cellular plasticity,” a term that describes how specialized cells within the body aren’t fixed on their identity but might be persuaded to tackle recent roles.

“I challenged the dogma that the fate of cells is fixed and irreversible,” Blau said. “I said it could be changed.”

Blau has used this discovery to explore the biological mechanisms of stem cells, tissue regeneration and rejuvenation of muscles weakened on account of lack of use, genetic diseases or age. Most recently, she found that a molecular drug can goal an enzyme linked to age-related muscle weakening.

“I’m working hard to develop this as a possible therapy for muscle loss,” she said.

She learned the news while vacationing along with her family in Tokyo. She rescheduled her flight home and flew on to Washington DC as an alternative of San Francisco.

“It feels amazing,” Blau said, thanking her lab members and colleagues for his or her support and commitment. “This success is a reflection of our collective efforts and shared passion for discovery.”

Doudna's research is predicated on Crispr-Cas9, a DNA editing method. The strategy, discovered in bacteria along with her European colleague Emmanuelle Charpentier, was revolutionary and served as the idea for a lot of promising medical technologies, including tools to diagnose and treat disease.

Jennifer Doudna, co-inventor of CRISPR genome editing technology, is expanding research collaborations to the Mission Bay research community in San Francisco. (UCSF – Gladstone Institutes)
Jennifer Doudna, co-inventor of CRISPR genome editing technology, is expanding research collaborations to the Mission Bay research community in San Francisco. (UCSF – Gladstone Institute)

There are many applications for developing improved crops, biofuels and bioproducts. The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved a gene therapy treatment that uses CRISPR-Cas9 to treat sickle cell disease.

Both scientists say their scientific careers were launched by their intense childhood curiosity about how things work within the living world.

When Blau, as a lady, found a part of an animal skull within the forest near her home in Heidelberg, her parents found a way for her to look for its origins within the library at Heidelberg University.

Growing up in Hilo on Hawaii's Big Island, Doudna roamed the rainforest surrounding the subdivision where her family lived, fascinated by the properties of exotic mosses and fungi.

Yock, who grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis, was fascinated by philosophy and medical ethics as an undergraduate at Amherst, but decided to check medicine.

When asked for advice for younger scientists, Blau said: “Ask big questions. Be brave. Be brave.”

“Try to really make a difference; Don’t do incremental science,” she said. “Enjoy it and be passionate about everything you do.”

Originally published:

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