PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE

摘要

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2017 has been awarded to three American scientists Jefrey C Hall, Michael Rosbach of Brandeis University and Michael W Young of Rockefeller University for their discovery of the mechanisms controlling circadian rhythm. Jefrey C Hall (now 72 years) obtained his doctoral degree from University of Washington in Seattle in 1971, was a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech during 1971 - 1973, and joined Brandeis University in Waltham in 1974, remained associated with University of Maine since 2004 to 2012, initially as adjunct Professor and then as a Libra Professor of Neurogenetics. Michael Rosbach (aged 73years), a contemporary of Jefrey C Hall, completed his doctoral degree from MIT in 1970, was a post - doctoral fellow at University of Edinburg in Scotland, till, in 1974, he joined the faculty of Brandeis University, Waltham, USA. Michael W Young, aged 68 years now, received his doctoral degree from University of Texas, Austin in 1975; has been a post - doctoral fellow at Standford University, Palo Alto for next couple of years and then joined the faculty of Rockefeller University in New York in 1978. Alfred Nobel, (1833 - 1896), the man behind the prize wanted in his last will, dated November 27, 1895, establishment of a fund, the interest of which shall be annually distributed in form of prize to those who shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind. In this context of giving greatest benefit to mankind, let us have a look at this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The discoveries will possibly enlighten discussions on almost mysteries been created around Sachin Tendulkar hitting a century against Kenya in a 1999 world cup match immediately on going back from India after his father's sudden demise (time-zone transition in quick succession), major industrial disaster like Chernobyl (1986) and Exxon valdez oil spill(1989) possibly taking place due to alteration in biological clock functioning because of shift work, influence of melatonin in alleviating Jet lag and so on.