Three Scientists Share the Chemistry Nobel Prize for Research on DNA Repair
October 7, 2015
Officials at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm announced that the 2015 Nobel Prize for Chemistry will be shared by three scientists for their important research on how DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the molecule responsible for heredity (inheritance), is repaired in the cells of living things, or organisms. Swedish-born biologist Tomas Lindahl of the Francis Crick Institute in the United Kingdom shared the prize with American Paul Modrich of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and Turkish-born American scientist Aziz Sancar of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
DNA is a thin, chainlike molecule found in every living cell on Earth. It directs the formation, growth, and reproduction of cells and organisms. Short sections of DNA called genes determine heredity—that is, the passing on of characteristics (such as height or eye color)—in living things. All DNA consists of thousands of smaller chemical units called nucleotides. Every living thing is unique as to the exact amount of each type of nucleotide it has and the order in which those nucleotides are arranged.
Before a cell divides, it duplicates its DNA. The chains of nucleotides separate lengthwise. The separated chains, each resembling half of a ladder that has been split rungs, serve as templates (patterns) for two new DNA molecules. This process is repeated thousands of times to form two new DNA molecules identical to the original. However, the process is not perfect and errors sometimes occur. A gene mutation occurs if there are slight chemical changes in DNA. Many mutations are caused by such agents as ultraviolet light, X rays, tobacco smoke, and certain chemicals. Mutations can be harmful and certain diseases, such as cancer, are caused by mutations in certain cells.
The three scientists each identified specific ways in which cells manage to correct errors that occur in replicating DNA. These correction mechanisms significantly reduce the chance of errors and mutations in DNA. Understanding the ways in which DNA repairs itself has important applications for understanding inherited genetic disorders and the development and treatment of such diseases as cancer.
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- The Basics of Genes and Chromosomes (a Special report)
- Chemistry
- How Does an Organism Develop From a Single Cell? (a Special report)
- Life