Yoshinori Ohsumi, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2016: Official interview

Transcript

you should know assuming yeah welcome to Nobel week Stockholm yeah and all Nobel laureates yeah I were asked to bring a thing an artifact to the Nobel Missy in Stockholm yes so what did you bring yeah I loved these true things yeah I I won't explain now those are gift from my colleagues last year I got this and this is a miniature of 27 years ago o... Read More

Summary

In this video, Nobel laureate Yoshinori Ohsumi is asked about the artifact he brought to the Nobel Ceremony, his research on autophagy, his career, and his personal life. He discusses the significance of autophagy in biology, the importance of a diverse team in research, the characteristics valuable to a scientist, the challenges of studying autophagy, and his advice for young scientists.

Questions & Answers

Q: What artifact did Yoshinori Ohsumi bring to the Nobel Ceremony?

Yoshinori Ohsumi brought two miniature gifts from his colleagues. One was a miniature version of himself from 27 years ago, and the other was a model of the ATG gene, which is related to his research on autophagy.

Q: Why is autophagy important for biology?

Autophagy, the process of self-eating and recycling in cells, is crucial for survival. It helps organisms deal with periods of starvation and protects cells from harmful protein accumulation. Autophagy plays a significant role in our entire body, especially in the brain.

Q: What characteristics are valuable to a scientist?

According to Yoshinori Ohsumi, there isn't a single typical or important way to be a scientist. He believes that heterogeneity is crucial in society, including the scientific community. He emphasizes the need for different types of scientists and diversity in research approaches.

Q: How does Yoshinori Ohsumi ensure diversity within his research group?

Yoshinori Ohsumi aims to have a team with diverse expertise and backgrounds. He believes in focusing on a specific research subject but having a team with researchers specializing in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, and cell biology.

Q: Does Yoshinori Ohsumi still do his own experiments?

Although he occasionally tries to do experiments by himself, Yoshinori Ohsumi finds it challenging to continue due to the lack of time and constant demands on his time as a lab leader. However, he continues to be involved in research and guides his team.

Q: Why do cells need a system for recycling, like autophagy?

Autophagy is essential for cells because it helps them survive periods of starvation. It ensures that cells can recycle materials to obtain necessary nutrients. Additionally, autophagy removes harmful or excessive substances from cells, protecting their health.

Q: What happens if a cell has too much or too little autophagy?

Insufficient autophagy can lead to cells being unable to survive under starvation conditions. On the other hand, excessive autophagy can result in the accumulation of harmful proteins or substances in cells, which can be detrimental to their health.

Q: Are there materials in cells that are hard to degrade or recycle?

While lysosomes, cellular organelles responsible for degradation, can break down almost everything, there are diseases known as lysosomal storage disorders where certain proteins or molecules cannot be degraded. However, autophagy-related diseases are less known because autophagy is a more fundamental process.

Q: Why did Yoshinori Ohsumi choose to study autophagy using yeast?

When Yoshinori Ohsumi started studying autophagy, he realized he needed a good model system to understand the molecular mechanisms of autophagy. He chose yeast because it had large vacuoles similar to lysosomes and observed similar structures within them that resembled autophagosomes.

Q: At what point did Yoshinori Ohsumi realize he had made a breakthrough discovery?

Yoshinori Ohsumi realized he had made a breakthrough discovery when he observed the structures of autophagosomes under the microscope. He found the phenomenon fascinating and convincing, leading him to believe he had made a significant discovery in the field of autophagy.

Q: Does Yoshinori Ohsumi have any advice for young scientists?

Yoshinori Ohsumi advises young scientists not to solely focus on publishing papers or working on popular topics. He believes that if they have a genuine interest in a subject and believe they can achieve good results, they should pursue that question and not be in a hurry to move on to the next thing.

Takeaways

Yoshinori Ohsumi's research on autophagy has revealed the importance of this cellular process in biology. Autophagy helps organisms deal with starvation and protects cells from harmful protein accumulation. He emphasizes the need for diversity in the scientific community and believes in giving young scientists the time and freedom to explore their interests. His advice is to stick with a question or phenomena that genuinely interests them, even if it takes years or decades to find answers.