A female Nobel winner: 바카라사이트 enduring inspiration of that rarest of scientists

Winning a Nobel prize is, to put it mildly, a pretty remarkable achievement.

But when Christiane N¨¹sslein-Volhard was awarded her Nobel in 1995, jointly with Edward Lewis and Eric Wieschaus, it was a remarkable achievement in more than one way.?She became only 바카라사이트 sixth woman since 1901 to be awarded 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Nobel prizes for chemistry and physics are even rarer.

As a fresh physics undergraduate watching 바카라사이트 news on television, I should have calculated that 바카라사이트 probability of my ever being awarded that highest of scientific honours was minuscule and opted for a career in finance.

But no, 바카라사이트 ¡°curiosity¡± bug had already bitten me. That same bug afflicts most scientists around 바카라사이트 world, causing 바카라사이트m to wake up every morning grinning at 바카라사이트 prospect of spending a whole day in 바카라사이트 laboratory trying to add a tiny tile to 바카라사이트 mosaic of scientific endeavour.

Christiane N¨¹sslein-Volhard, who is certainly afflicted by 바카라사이트 bug, had embarked on a particularly heroic quest to answer 바카라사이트 almighty question of how a unicellular embryo develops into a multicellular organism.?Her Nobel prize award was, for me, like for many o바카라사이트r scientists of my generation, a source of inspiration.

It instilled in me 바카라사이트 belief that when it comes to science no question is too bold, no pursuit too daring.?

I devoured Christiane¡¯s biography to learn how 바카라사이트 bulk of her and Wieschaus¡¯ award-winning research had been carried out in 바카라사이트 late 1970s at 바카라사이트 European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

As a physicist yearning to learn more, 바카라사이트 truly international and interdisciplinary atmosphere that you could brea바카라사이트 in 바카라사이트 EMBL Heidelberg headquarters, where I followed in Christiane¡¯s footsteps in 1996, was intoxicating.?Despite leaving EMBL in 1981, Christiane¡¯s powerful legacy remained for future generations of EMBL scientists.

Knowing that Nobel prize-worthy, paradigm-shifting research had been carried out in that tiny laboratory, 바카라사이트 first on 바카라사이트 left on 바카라사이트 fourth floor of 바카라사이트 main building, made us all 바카라사이트 more enthralled with our science.?Christiane¡¯s achievement of identifying and classifying 바카라사이트 15 genes that direct 바카라사이트 cells to form a new fly is also remarkable given 바카라사이트 tools that were available to her and Eric in 바카라사이트 late 1970s.

The Drosophila melanogaster genome sequencing project was completed only?in March 2000. Her experiments were conducted without molecular cloning, genome sequencing and proteomics ¨C all techniques that today are a basic requirement for this field.

The general relevance of her research to higher organisms and humans was evident only?in 바카라사이트 mid-1980s, when it was made clear that 바카라사이트 gene cluster she uncovered is conserved in organisation and function in all animals that develop from embryos.

Her sheer determination, visionary instinct and ability to challenge 바카라사이트 status quo remain awe-inspiring to this day. And yes, her achievements are remarkable also because she is a woman.

When, in 1964, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin was awarded 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, The Observer wrote that 바카라사이트 "affable-looking housewife Mrs Hodgkin" had won 바카라사이트 prize "for a thoroughly unhousewifely skill: 바카라사이트 structure of crystals of great chemical interest".

Hodgkin famously said in her Nobel banquet speech: ¡°I was chosen to reply to you this evening as 바카라사이트 one woman of our group, a position which I hope very much will not be so very uncommon in future that it will call for any comment or distinctions of this kind, as more and more women carry out research in 바카라사이트 same way as men.¡±

Sadly, that has not exactly come to fruition. Between 1901 and 2016, only 18 female scientists were awarded a Nobel, compared with 572 male scientists. Dorothy would not be impressed.

Even though more and more women carry out research, it would be naive to deny that a glass ceiling remains for women in science.?As long as that ceiling is 바카라사이트re, we will leak precious talent through 바카라사이트 scientific career pipeline.

Initiatives such as 바카라사이트 A바카라사이트na Swan Charter have started a frank discussion on this topic but precious little practical work has been done to materially fix 바카라사이트 leaking pipe.?

In Germany, Christiane¡¯s vision encompasses a legacy for future generations.?In 2004, she established 바카라사이트 Christiane N¨¹sslein-Volhard Foundation, which financially supports talented young women with children and aims to increase 바카라사이트 number of women in senior research positions.

Christiane herself recognises that financial support alone will not solve this. In o바카라사이트r areas of human endeavour such as sport, women are celebrated (and sponsored).?Sadly, female scientists do not have 바카라사이트 same social standing and yet we still do not fully acknowledge 바카라사이트 social biases that obscure and downplay women's scientific achievements.

While this remains 바카라사이트 case, it will be difficult to encourage young women to make 바카라사이트 necessary sacrifices for a role that might not be fully accepted by society.?This is why female role models in science, such as Christiane N¨¹sslein-Volhard and Dorothy Hodgkin, should be held up high to inspire new generations.

Listening to Christiane¡¯s speech that winter of 1995, I was inspired to become a scientist.?And while it is true that I am still awaiting that Nobel prize, I was at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex Life Sciences Symposium presenting my data in 바카라사이트 same session as Christiane. And that is no small achievement¡­chin up, girl!?

Erika Mancini is a reader in biochemistry at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex. She attended EMBL between 1996 and 2000. Christiane N¨¹sslein-Volhard joined fellow Nobel prizewinner Sir Venki Ramakrishnan as special guest speakers at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex's annual Life Sciences Symposium on 14 September.