Victor Ambros, awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2024, has shared insights into his discovery of lin-4, the first identified microRNA, which revealed a new layer of gene regulation. In an interview, Ambros details how this discovery came about, the significance of scientific collaboration and public funding in basic research, and the unexpected journey that led him to the most prestigious award in science.
Initially interested in astronomy, Ambros shifted his focus to molecular biology at MIT, captivated by genetics and developmental biology. The simplicity of the worm C. elegans appealed to him as an experimental system for studying developmental mutants, such as the renowned lin-4, which altered cellular transition timings.
“"Science is a beautiful unfolding of the frontier of ignorance."
Collaboration with Gary Ruvkun was crucial in identifying the lin-14 gene and the nature of the lin-4 microRNA. Ambros emphasizes the importance of sharing information and ideas within the scientific community, calling their shared discovery "one of the happiest decisions of my life."
Ambros highlights the fundamental role of public funding, such as that from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which supported his research for over forty years without immediate apparent health benefits. "We celebrate publicly funded basic science," he states, lamenting the erosion of such governmental support in the United States.
The Nobel Prize, according to Ambros, is an opportunity to "give back" to society, discussing the open questions in science and Vannevar Bush's concept of the "endless frontier." He notes that scientific discoveries open up new questions, making science a continuous process of exploring ignorance.
The award, received 30 years after the publication of the paper on lin-4, was a complete surprise to Ambros, who never considered himself "Nobel Prize material." Now, the prize allows him to speak about basic science, his work, and honor the memory of his wife, Rosalind Lee, who also participated in the research.
