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SPECIAL TOPICS
10/11/06
By KRISTA CONGER
Linda Cicero |
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Roger Kornberg, left, celebrates his Nobel announcement with his father, Arthur, and fellow 2006 Nobel laureate Andrew Fire. |
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“Reason for ticket cancellation?” asked the Travelocity operator. After a short pause, Roger Kornberg, went with the best excuse he could muster. “Well, I, uh, just won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.”
It wasn’t quite like “the dog ate my homework,” but in the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 4 it sounded nearly as outlandish. But that was just one of the perils that came with recognition by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences of Kornberg’s multidisciplinary research into how DNA is converted into RNA, a process known as transcription.
Kornberg, a 59-year-old professor of structural biology, had been scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh later that morning to accept the Dickson Prize in Medicine. His plans changed after the 2:30 a.m. phone call from Sweden.
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Kornberg’s research and Nobel award, are a family affair: His father Arthur Kornberg, MD, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1959 for studies of how genetic information is transferred from one DNA molecule to another. The younger Kornberg is also the second newly minted Nobel laureate at the medical school in one week; two days earlier Andrew Fire, professor of pathology and of genetics, had been awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of RNA interference.
“I’m simply stunned,” said Kornberg. “There are no other words.”
Together the two Nobel Prizes are a clarion call announcing RNA’s arrival in the scientific and medical spotlight.
“Roger has been one of my role models for many years,” said Fire. “We did our post-docs at Cambridge in the same institute, and he’s been a tremendous help to me since I came to Stanford in 2003. Our fields are interestingly intertwined.”
In 2001 Kornberg, PhD, the Mrs. George A. Winzer Professor in Medicine, published the first molecular snapshot of the protein machinery responsible for transcription in yeast—RNA polymerase II—in action. Because RNA polymerase in yeast is similar to its human cousin, the finding helped explain how cells express all the information in the human genome, and how that expression sometimes goes awry, leading to cancer, birth defects and other disorders.
Nearly every cell has the same complement of genetic information in its DNA. It’s the selective transcription of a cell’s tens of thousands of genes from double-stranded DNA to single-stranded RNA that determines whether it becomes a neuron, a liver cell or a stem cell — and whether it develops normally or becomes a runaway cancer.
The picture of RNA polymerase at work provided an atomic-level window into how the protein complex unzips the double-stranded DNA at the site of a gene, uses its internal code to generate a complementary strand of RNA, and then re-zips the DNA like a Ziploc® bag. For many scientists it was a thing of beauty.
“We were astonished by the intricacy of the complex, the elegance of the architecture and the way that such an extraordinary machine evolved to accomplish these important purpose,” said Kornberg of the images he and his colleagues created. “RNA polymerase gives a voice to genetic information that, on its own, is silent.” Learning how that voice is amplified—and shushed—through the selective expression of genes is a critical stepping-stone to many areas of biological and medical research.
Linda Cicero |
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Roger Kornberg |
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The path to the pictures involved a highly specialized yet multidisciplinary field, called crystallography, that lies at the intersection of chemistry, biology and physics. The technique traditionally involves evaporating a concentrated, highly pure solution of a molecule to encourage the development of highly structured, three-dimensional crystals. Powerful X-rays are then used to pinpoint the position of individual atoms and the data are used to produce a computer-generated representation of the molecule.
Successfully crystallizing one molecule is a feat worth congratulating. Embarking on a quest to capture the 10 subunits of RNA polymerase—in action, no less—was daunting for three main reasons: It was difficult to get the very pure mixture of the complex necessary to make crystals, it was difficult to get enough of the complex to make crystals, and both the X-ray and computing power of the day fell far short of what was required.
“The problem was obviously impossible to solve when we first started,” said Kornberg. “The means did not exist.”
The scientists plowed ahead despite the obstacles. After a decade-long process devising a way first to initiate the process of transcription in a test tube and then to stall it by withholding one of the building blocks of RNA, they spent the next decade purifying and crystallizing the complex by exploiting a phenomenon called bilateral lipid diffusion.
The technique, which Kornberg discovered in the 1960s as a Stanford graduate student in the laboratory of Harden McConnell, involves applying the complex to be crystallized to a bed of uniformly charged lipid (fat) molecules. Attraction to the lipids keeps the complex in a single layer without restricting the two-dimensional shuffling necessary for the formation of an orderly, but very thin, crystal film.
“This was a technical tour de force that took about 20 years of work to accomplish,” said Joseph Puglisi, PhD, professor and chair of structural biology at the School of Medicine. “Like other great scientists, Roger doesn’t quit. He’s stubborn. A lot of scientists would have given up after five years.” Kornberg’s determination, couple with his expertise in both crystallography and biochemistry, finally cracked the code.
“Professor Kornberg’s seminal research on transcription has been an exceptional contribution to the body of knowledge in fundamental biology,” said Stanford President John Hennessy on the day of the announcement. “His work settled long-open questions about how genes communicate the information needed to make proteins and will help us understand a variety of diseases that can be caused by a failure in the transcription process.”
“Roger Kornberg has dedicated his life and career to elucidating the molecular mechanism of transcription,” said Philip Pizzo, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. “His remarkable studies have been acclaimed for their elegance and technical sophistication as well as their unique insights. His work has deepened our understanding of the ‘message of life’ and how it contributes to both normal and abnormal human development, health and disease.”
Kornberg emphasized that the work required the contributions of many people in a variety of fields. “I am indebted to my colleagues,” he said. “This is not something that I did alone, or even with a small number of people.”
Born in 1947, Kornberg was the first of three children of Arthur Kornberg and his wife, Sylvy, also a biochemist. “Both my parents had fine scientific minds and taught by example how to approach questions and problems in a logical, dispassionate way,” Kornberg once said. “Science was a part of dinner conversation and an activity in the afternoons and on weekends. Scientific reasoning became second nature. Above all, the joy of science became evident to my brothers and me.” Kornberg was able to indulge his scientific bent early as a high school student working in the laboratory of Paul Berg, PhD, a colleague of his father’s at Stanford who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1980.
Arthur Kornberg, the Emma Pfeiffer Merner Professor of Biochemistry, Emeritus, said he had not imagined decades ago, that there would be a second Nobel laureate in the family. “But nature is so broad, profound and mysterious—one doesn’t know where it leads,” he remarked. “And I would say among the people I know—and I have trained many hundred—he has the clearest vision, sense of purpose and direction.”
Roger Kornberg received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Harvard in 1967 and his doctorate in chemistry from Stanford in 1972. He was a postdoctoral fellow and member of the scientific staff at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, U.K., from 1972 to 1975. He joined Harvard Medical School in 1976 as an assistant professor in biological chemistry and returned to Stanford in 1978 as a professor in structural biology. He served as department chair from 1984 until 1992.
Kornberg is no stranger to recognition. On Oct. 4, it was also announced that he had been awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions to basic research in the fields of biology and biochemistry.
It’s been a busy week, and there’s still much to look forward to—including a December trip to Sweden by the Kornberg family to watch Roger Kornberg accept his latest, and greatest, award.
“I’m looking forward to being in Stockholm, where we have many friends,” said Arthur Kornberg, remembering his own award 47 years ago. “They put on a great party.”
Time for another call to Travelocity?
Share your thoughts on Roger Kornberg and his discoveries related to transcriptionNote: Comments are moderated. Uncivil, commercial and other spam submissions will be deleted, unpublished.
Reader Comments (89 comments accepted)
 the comments of
Jian,
October 4, 2006 01:52 PM
the comments of
drshyamnarainharsh,
October 4, 2006 03:16 PM
hats off to father and son both dr harsh.
the comments of
Earl,
October 4, 2006 03:22 PM
This is a great acknowledgement for leadership, brilliance, tenacity and hard work. Congratulation!
the comments of
Victor Hugo Huertas - Per�,
October 4, 2006 03:51 PM
Congratulations, and thank you for helping us to understand life.
the comments of
Amit, CA,
October 4, 2006 04:43 PM
Awesome!! Reminds me of Marie Curie's Nobel Prize-winning family.
the comments of
Ronald at Stanford,
October 4, 2006 05:14 PM
Congratulations to two brilliant young Nobel Laureates at Stanford University Medical School - Roger Kornberg and Andrew Fire
the comments of
StanfordMedSchoolc/o2012,
October 4, 2006 06:29 PM
Go Stanford!
the comments of
Lakshika at Stanford University,
October 4, 2006 06:50 PM
Congrats! This is a remarkable achievement for Stanford!
the comments of
Harriet,
October 4, 2006 07:04 PM
Just saw you both on the News Hour. Blessings and Thanks. Harriet
the comments of
v. sagar sethi, MD, PhD,
October 4, 2006 07:48 PM
In 1969, at the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany, in the lab of Wolfram Zillig, PhD, I reconstituted the subunits of RNA polymerase from E.Coli, and demonstrated role of partial functions of the subunits. Now as a psychiatrist I still miss the thrills of discovery in basic sciences. My present contribution has been the publication of my book, 'Solving Psychiatric Puzzles'. More info at www.solvingpsychiatricpuzzles.com. Congratulations, and best regards, V.Sagar Sethi, MD, PhD
the comments of
Camilo Stockholm,
October 4, 2006 07:49 PM
Congratulations Mr.Kornberg! And welcome to my hometown of Stockholm, Sweden, in December.
the comments of
Ken, Oklahoma, USA,
October 4, 2006 07:52 PM
Congrajulations Dr. Kornberg! I wish you all the very best in your future research discoveries! In Him (Christ Jesus) is hidden all the secrets of wisdom and knowledge. (Holy Bible) God Bless you
the comments of
zam--China,
October 4, 2006 08:25 PM
what a great pair of father and son!!
the comments of
Steven,
October 4, 2006 08:49 PM
Congratulations!!!
the comments of
Asim Husain, Saratoga,
October 4, 2006 09:05 PM
Congratulations. What a brilliant family!! Thanks for providing logical understanding of life.
the comments of
Siva,
October 4, 2006 09:59 PM
It is great day for Bay Area with 3 Nobel Prize winners. Congratulations!!!
the comments of
Kamran King Edward Medical University, Lahore Pakistan,
October 4, 2006 10:35 PM
Professor Arthur Kornberg said Biochemistry Matters. Yes it does & twice. From People of Pakistan, Faculty of King Edward Medical University, Lahore-Pakistan we Salute the Grand Father & Son for contributing to science and humanity. Kamran Aziz
the comments of
Li,Beijing,
October 4, 2006 10:38 PM
Congratulations!
the comments of
Arindam,
October 4, 2006 11:03 PM
Congratulations on this great accomplishment. I am impressed by the academic excellence at Stanford. Two Nobel prize winners in the same year. This is really great news.
the comments of
Bill O'Neill, Seattle,
October 5, 2006 01:01 AM
We are so pleased that Arthur can share this well-deserved honor with you, Roger. No finer gentlemen ever deserved this award.
the comments of
James Overton - Stanford 07,
October 5, 2006 02:56 AM
Let me be the one-millionth person to say congratulations. "CONGRATULATIONS." What an extraordinary honor, a lifetime achievement. Father and son are like a dynamic duo - a real life Superman and Batman!! Here's to continued success, and joy.
the comments of
Byron Houston, Texas,
October 5, 2006 05:43 AM
I just heard the last name "Kornberg" on the radio. Then I was confused because I knew I studied Arthur Kornberg's book on DNA about 30 years ago and thought he already won the Nobel prize many years ago. After further investigation I was surprised it was his son Roger! I'm off to the bookstore to buy one of his books now.
the comments of
hitler-peru,
October 5, 2006 07:35 AM
felicitaciones por aportar mas para la vida.
the comments of
Allen,
October 5, 2006 08:03 AM
congratulations!!
the comments of
Mike-Edmonton,
October 5, 2006 08:12 AM
Nice work for both father and son, wonderful achievements. Congratulations!!!
the comments of
Abdiwahab,
October 5, 2006 10:42 AM
it is one of the greatest achievements of a scientist. Congratulations to Roger.......
the comments of
Yao,
October 5, 2006 10:52 AM
genious! congratulations!
the comments of
Julia Z, HK,
October 5, 2006 11:20 AM
what great work! so insight and persistence may lead to discovery, i think i learned a lot from the story, as a beginner in biochemistry.
the comments of
EVAGELIA FROM GREECE,
October 5, 2006 11:43 AM
what a team, father-son. Congratulations.
the comments of
Bochy Pittsburgh,
October 5, 2006 12:51 PM
Today Dr. Kornberg delivered a great speech on the issue of transcription at Alumni Hall in Univ. of Pittsburgh, and I appreciated his words much. Congs, Dr.Kornberg!
the comments of
Susan,
October 5, 2006 12:56 PM
Green Acres School in Rockville, MD, is proud to claim that Dr. Roger Kornberg attended its nursery school. Congratulations!
the comments of
Yongyut, London,
October 5, 2006 01:44 PM
Congratulations !! Like father, like son :D Please continue doing this excellent research.
the comments of
Celeste Niles Illinois,
October 5, 2006 01:52 PM
Two summers ago I found my uncle's resume. He too was a chemist, physicist, and biologist. He published works with Arthur Kornberg. No one is left in my family to explain to me what the papers were about. I want to congratulate the Kornbergs knowing how much the family has contributed to science. I do wish my uncle was around to see the news article in today's paper.
the comments of
Linda - Silicon Valley,
October 5, 2006 01:54 PM
Wow, what a day to be a proud parent! Congratulations to the entire Kornberg family. Linda (www.harvardmom.com)
the comments of
Shanda / South Florida,
October 5, 2006 02:17 PM
Sincerest congratulations! I am excited to learn how the understanding brought about by Dr. Kornberg's discovery will benefit medicine and humanity. Thank you for your tenacity and brilliance. Well done!
the comments of
Deepti, Cornell,
October 5, 2006 02:33 PM
CONGRATULATIONS Dr. Kornberg!! Amazing Work!! God bless!
the comments of
Inger,
October 5, 2006 05:26 PM
Fabulous !!!
the comments of
Dr.Nanda, Kathamndu,Nepal,
October 5, 2006 08:57 PM
wow, duo in medicine within Stanford from the same family! Millions of congratulations and the greatest salute from the Mount Everest for your unprecedented and second-to-none brilliance that was deciphered in your research findings!!!
the comments of
zhang,
October 5, 2006 09:13 PM
Kornberg is great. he is respectable!
the comments of
GOPINATH and Tiruchirappalli,
October 5, 2006 09:50 PM
Dear Mr.Kornberg, Hearty congratulations for being hold the title again to your family! M.Gopinath,
the comments of
Maiyalagan, IIT Madras,
October 5, 2006 10:33 PM
Hard work of father and son with dedication
the comments of
song,
October 6, 2006 02:09 AM
congratulatons! This is a remarkable achievement for Stanford! God Bless you!
the comments of
Niraj Lucknow,
October 6, 2006 05:15 AM
This is a great day for the area of trancription regulation, congratulations on this achievement.
the comments of
raakesh shrivastav,
October 6, 2006 05:50 AM
Congratulation sir, for getting the Nobel prize,
the comments of
Joni (Steiner) Buttke,
October 6, 2006 09:15 AM
As the Bible proclaims, "we are fearfully and wonderfully made", and the scientific study of Biochemistry continues to discover and expose the utter brilliance of our Creator God. Congratulations to father and son who are helping to illuminate the truths of the nature of our profound and mysterious Creator and help all of us to delight in His handiwork. Congratulations on the hard work on your parts that followed His inspiration. May the good Lord continue to inspire your work to His glory. Joni Buttke
the comments of
Laura - Dept Neurosurgery,
October 6, 2006 10:23 AM
I heard the interview on NPR with you and your dad and I am inspired in many ways through your combined accomplishments and life experiences. Congratulations and God Bless!
the comments of
Manuel M (Jerez-Spain),
October 6, 2006 11:39 AM
Hello Professor Kornberg My name is Manuel M. Congratulations Professor Kornberg for winning the Prize Nobel. Excuse me please Professor Kornberg my bad English Best regards
the comments of
Feng and China,
October 6, 2006 12:41 PM
Congratulations!
the comments of
Kaustuv, Canada,
October 6, 2006 12:53 PM
Congratulations Dr. Roger Kornberg for winnning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. I wish you all the best in your future research work. Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Fire for winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine. This is a remarkable achievement for Stanford
the comments of
michael, university of pittsburgh,
October 6, 2006 02:28 PM
It was a true thrill to hear your outstanding presentation for the Dickson Lecture at Pitt. As someone who has followed development of the understanding of the relationship between structure and function in chromatin, I am in awe of your accomplishments. Congratulations on your well deserved receipt of the Nobel Prize and best wishes for future achievements.
the comments of
Dileep V Sathe, India,
October 6, 2006 11:14 PM
My father was a tax-consultant and I wanted to do career in science. That time, because of Arthur Kornberg's work, I decided to do career in Biochemistry. But after doing MSc in 1970, my interest shifted to physics education because of John Kendrew, the 1962 Nobel Prize Winner of Chemistry and the father of Molecular Biology. In his line is now Roger Kornberg. My work in physics is concerned with basic mechanics, which was appreciated by Abdus Salam, the Nobel Laureate of 1979. Thus I have never worked in Biochemistry but Arthur Kornberg is still my hero. Dileep V. Sathe, Retired Physics Teacher from Pune, MH, INDIA
the comments of
Bishnu, Korea,
October 6, 2006 11:22 PM
Respected Professor Kornberg
the comments of
Kamran, King Edward Medical University, Lahore Pakistan,
October 7, 2006 12:43 AM
Professor Arthur Kornberg has two Grand Contribution to Science; a contribution to Biochemistry & a great Son Professor Roger Kornberg. Heartiest Congratulations from Faculty of King Edward Medical University, Lahore-Pakistan. Kamran Aziz
the comments of
maitree,
October 7, 2006 12:45 AM
Great!! Transcription really matters! CONGRATULATIONS to KORNBERGS ! !
the comments of
mohamed egypt,
October 7, 2006 06:54 AM
great congratulations to the kornbergs and to stanford and also to the science great accomplishment and always forward
the comments of
vijay hyderabad,
October 7, 2006 09:13 AM
congratulations,kornberg. stanford stands for nobel, nobel stands for well research, research stand for stanford
the comments of
YK in NJ,
October 7, 2006 01:36 PM
What Arthur Kornberg said is so true, "he has the clearest vision, sense of purpose and direction." That's key to any kind of success. Success comes from within.
the comments of
Sami, Georgia Tech,
October 7, 2006 06:36 PM
Astonishing! Congrats to Prof. Kornberg and to Stanford University.
the comments of
Raja,winnipeg,Canada,
October 7, 2006 10:13 PM
Prof.Roger Kornberg's tenacity for years in a technically challenging field of structural biology is a source of inspiration for graduate students like me. Nobel recognition for such a Genius is a encouraging news for thousands of science students. I pray for his continued contribution to the science for the betterment of the humanity.
the comments of
Rajendra bahadur Shahi,kathmandu,Nepal,
October 8, 2006 12:42 AM
CONGRATULATION FROM NEPAL
the comments of
Lalit Mohan,
October 8, 2006 03:54 AM
Honorable Sir, With Obeisances (V. L. Kalyane)
the comments of
Lalit Mohan,
October 8, 2006 04:03 AM
Honorable Sir, With Obeisances
the comments of
Samrat Bora,
October 8, 2006 07:42 AM
A salute from a biologist for arriving at and revealing this profound and beautiful truth of life. Samrat Bora
the comments of
Fredrik, Uppsala, Sweden,
October 8, 2006 09:14 AM
Grattis Roger!
the comments of
Mel Istanbul,
October 8, 2006 10:26 AM
We've been following all the progress that you've been making on this research, you completely deserve it professor, congratulations...
the comments of
ec,
October 8, 2006 01:12 PM
go bears
the comments of
Wenting Philadelphia,
October 8, 2006 02:11 PM
Scientists are those who can understand our world. And they find the interest in the process of probing into the truth of the nature. I believe you have already enjor much pleasure before you get the prize. I admire you. Congrats!
the comments of
Robert Eibl, Bad Reichenhall, Germany,
October 9, 2006 04:33 AM
As a former postdoc in Weissman lab, I expected at least one Nobel prize to go to the Stanford University School of Medicine in the coming years. I remember a great lecture of and a short discussion with Roger Kornberg during my years at Stanford. This prize is sure a wonderful and great honor for him and his work, but also for the 'little' Stanford School of Medicine receiving even two prizes in one week (Andy Fire for Medicine and Roger Kornberg for Chemistry). For me it was a great honor to improve my scientific education and serve the School of Medicine as a postdoc. Congratulations to the Nobelist !
the comments of
Jeff San Francisco,
October 9, 2006 07:11 PM
Very educational article! My biology background helps in understanding your article. Congratulations!
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Wow, another father-son team.
Congratulations!!!