Alex Palazzo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at The University of Toronto.
Well this year was a big year again for RNA at the Nobels. Both prizes were essentially given to RNA dependent processes. In the case of Telomerase, an RNA molecule, Telomerase RNA (hTR or TERC), acts as the template strand to help Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) elongate the end of the telomere. Here's a great vid explaining the whole process:
In the case of the Ribosome - well it is only the granddaddy of all ribozymes. To illustrate this point, here's a great video from the Steitz Lab with an incredible soundtrack:
(HT: Sunil)
Links to essay's on this year's Medicine & Chemistry Nobels:
Balancing life:2009 Nobel for telomeres and ribosomes: answering basic questions in life (Highly recommended!)
Sandwalk: Calling All Science Writers
The Scientific Activist: 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine: Telomeres and Telomerase and 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: The Ribosome
Pharyngula: Telomeres win a Nobel!
Biology in Science Fiction: Telomeres, Aging, and Science Fiction
Life's a Lab: Nobel Monday 2009 - Chromosome Protectors! and Nobel Wednesday 2009 - Tiny Protein Factories!
If you've composed a post on this year's Nobels in "Medicine or Physiology" or "Chemistry", leave your link in the comment section.
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