http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/health/research/cloning-and-stem-cell-discoveries-earn-nobel-prize-in-medicine.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=world
Two scientists have been awarded
the first Nobel Prize this year in cloning and stem cell work. Yamanaka and Gurdon are the two scientists
responsible for these amazing accomplishments.
Per the article, Yamanaka and Gurdon are not only amazing scientists but
also interesting people.
The article
discusses the challenges that these individuals have faced in their lives,
pertaining to their jobs. Dr. Gurdon was
told as a high school biology student that he “would have no chance of doing the work of a specialist, and it would be a
sheer waste of time, both on his part and of those who would have to teach
him.” Not only does this statement demonstrate how Dr. Gurdon’s biology teacher
was completely wrong about his strengths, but it also shows how Dr. Gurdon was
able to overcome what others thought he would not excel at and do what he was
passionate about. Similarly, Dr.
Yamanaka studied to be a surgeon until he realized that he was not good at
surgery, and took a totally different career path.
No doubt, both of these scientists
are incredibly intelligent and gifted in what they do, but a background of
their lives gives us a glimpse into their personalities as well. Without the determination, ability to recover
from failure and do something astounding with their talent, would they have
been as successful as they currently are?
As for their discoveries, stem cell
research is an extremely current topic in the science world as stem cells can
potentially provide a way for people with otherwise incurable diseases, like
cancer, to manage their disease through generation of healthy cells.
But, on the topic of cloning, these
researchers are making groundbreaking discoveries in cloning cells. If this research continues, we will
potentially have ways to genetically engineer animals, including humans. Of course, there are a plethora of ethical
concerns that arise when genetic engineering of human beings enters the picture. What is too far in creating a person? Is it okay to engineer humans for the sake of
advancing our society scientifically?
Emma Houston, G Block
World History
The research of Gurdon and Yamanaka definitely deserved the nobel prize. This research, while being impressive on its own, should prove to be an important element to biological research in the future. The application of this development for future stem cell research as well as medical treatments needs only to be tested. The ability to transform one cell into another could even serve as a cure for heart disease and brain damage by replacing damaged cells with new ones. I hope to only see good things develop from this in the future.
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