Wen Nie Yidan Wen Caifei
In the eyes of Nobel laureates, what is the key to doing good research? You might guess: is it talent or inspiration? Is it diligence or perseverance?
This group of scholars tells you: neither. They will even be "dissuaded" on the spot: if you don't love it enough, don't "waste" time on scientific research!
On February 29, a series of academic seminars jointly organized by Westlake Laboratory, Westlake University and Science AAAS were held in both online and offline venues. Phillip A., 1993 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine and Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySharp, Thomas R., 1989 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Colorado BoulderCECH, and Katalin Karikó, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who just won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine a few months ago, were invited to participate in the conference via ** connection.
More than 30 years ago, when I was a graduate student, biology was very popular, and it still is. Shi Yigong, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Westlake University, attended the meeting and had a dialogue with Nobel Prize scholars with students, "I think the entire field of RNA biology will continue to attract young students like you." ”
Shi Yigong spoke. Courtesy of Westlake University.
If the second half of the 20th century was the century of DNA, then the 21st century is the century of RNA. "Focusing on the research areas of the three keynote speakers, the symposium focused on new advances in RNA biology and RNA.
In addition, about growth, about ideals, and about the future are also topics that students and young researchers are eager to talk to Nobel Prize scholars. To these questions, the three scholars all point in the same direction: love and happiness.
The use of RNA drugs in diseases** is still to be developed
Q1: Can RNA drugs replace traditional drugs and ** regimens?
karikó：
First of all, the delivery of injected RNA drugs between different cell layers requires specific proteins to assist them, which is a challenge for RNA drug diseases, and current technology does not allow direct injection of RNA drugs into lesions in some special locations, such as kidneys.
Secondly, the cell itself also produces the correctly modified protein, and no matter where the RNA drug is injected, it produces a highly glycosylated protein, so there is still a lot of uncertainty about how much the RNA drug can really play.
Shi Yigong:
This question is a discussion of "possibility". In the future, there may be a certain percentage of drugs that will be RNA-based rather than traditional small molecules or proteins.
Maybe in 10 years, in hundreds of clinical trials, some RNA-based drugs will enter the clinic.
karikó：
Yes, even 30 years ago, I imagined that one day I would have these RNA drugs in my fridge. I think young people have a richer imagination and they can further develop these things and not just imagine.
sharp：
A variety of RNA-based genetic diseases have been proven, and more will be added in the future. For example, it is possible to investigate how lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery processes or other delivery processes can be targeted to different cells.
I think that being able to deliver RNA specifically into specific cells will help develop a more efficient pathway.
The scene of the academic seminar. Courtesy of Westlake University.
The life sciences of the future should be
Equal emphasis is placed on basic and applied research
Q2: Which research direction in life sciences can be expected in the future?
karikó：
Many people have asked me what is the most exciting and successful thing to doMy answer is that you have to keep learning, do some research on the ground, become an expert, and then go and break new ground.
It's hard to see what the future holds, so we have to do it and make ourselves professional.
cech：
First of all, I would like to thank Katalin very much for the combing he just had. All those early studies, including a lot of basic research, where people just wanted to understand how nature works, became a key part of later diseases**.
We need to reiterate the importance of basic research, which is conducted without considering the application of a specific disease. In the future, I think there is a need to strike a balance between applied research and basic research. Specifically, I believe that the function of more non-coding RNAs is an important area of research in the future.
sharp：
RNA is a vast field of research, and even at the pure discovery level, we have not yet seen its end, let alone its application. Therefore, RNA is still a promising area of research.
AI technology can effectively help RNA research
Q3: What role will AI play in RNA research?
cech：
Artificial intelligence has already started to have an impact in RNA research, and I think it can be used for questions like RNA structure, RNA-protein interactions, etc. But machine learning requires a large training set, and current RNA training sets are not as large as proteins.
karikó：
Artificial intelligence technology can also be used for the selection of ** targets, and then the corresponding encoded RNA drugs are designed for the target protein.
sharp：
For the past three years, I've been working with colleagues in MIT's Department of Computer Science to try to ** RNA splicing patterns through genome sequences.
The splice location of each RNA is known, but how to infer RNA splice information using machine learning is still a challenge, and we are trying to use algorithms to resolve how RNA-binding proteins guide the selection of splice sites.
We still have a lot to learn about AI technology, and I'm very excited about that. However, there are not many researchers with dual backgrounds in biology and algorithm development.
Do scientific research, "just be happy".
Q4: Can you give some advice to students and young researchers?
cech：
My advice is to follow your passion. You know, just to be able to add "ph." to the end of the named."It's not worth it to be a PhD student in three letters. You have to love what you're doing.
Research is not all a straight path, it has highs and lows, and it has twists and turns. If you don't love the process, you should spend your talent on something else.
karikó：
Yes, I just want to say that happiness is the most important thing. A lot of people think I'm not supposed to be very happy, but I'm happy. You have to be happy, you have to be healthy, you have to learn how to deal with stress.
Don't take all these things so seriously that you can see the good in the criticism and grow from it.
sharp：
I couldn't agree more. In my opinion, research is a fascinating way of life, and I can't think of any other profession that I am so obsessed with – being a scientist in the field of RNA in this day and age.