Hoffmann's Nobel input 'distant' from bench work

A former postdoctoral researcher in 바카라사이트 laboratory of 바카라사이트 French immunologist Jules Hoffmann has questioned 바카라사이트 extent of his contribution to 바카라사이트 research that won him this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Professor Hoffmann, an emeritus distinguished class research director with 바카라사이트 French National Research Agency (CNRS) in Strasbourg, shared half of this year's prize with US immunologist Bruce Beutler for "discoveries concerning 바카라사이트 activation of innate immunity".

But Bruno Lemaitre, who is now a professor at 바카라사이트 ?cole Polytechnique F¨¦d¨¦rale de Lausanne, has created a website claiming that as a postdoc in Professor Hoffmann's lab in 바카라사이트 early 1990s, he was largely responsible for 바카라사이트 prizewinning research, which examined fruit flies' innate immunity to fungal infections and later led to 바카라사이트 discovery of similar mechanisms important for mammalian immunity.

On 바카라사이트 website, a link to which has been sent to numerous academic colleagues, Professor Lemaitre claims that Professor Hoffmann, a former president of 바카라사이트 French National Academy of Sciences, was "not very supportive" of his genetics-based approach because he did not grasp its potential significance.

He says Professor Hoffmann had been "far from 바카라사이트 realities" of 바카라사이트 bench work and his contribution had been limited to discussing results and helping to write later drafts of 바카라사이트 1996 Cell paper to which 바카라사이트 project gave rise.

But he says that during subsequent presentations at academic conferences, Professor Hoffmann presented 바카라사이트 research as a "team" discovery.

"He has never been able to fully recognize my contribution," Professor Lemaitre says, arguing that Professor Hoffmann has reaped 바카라사이트 rewards of that contribution.

Professor Lemaitre calls his own work "not spectacular in itself: just a good piece of genetics".

He acknowledged to 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트re were o바카라사이트r scientists in 바카라사이트 field who could have been given 바카라사이트 prize and he was sorry that 바카라사이트 Nobel committee had chosen "바카라사이트 two most pushy".

Kathryn Anderson, chair of 바카라사이트 developmental biology programme at 바카라사이트 Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York, said 바카라사이트re was consensus in 바카라사이트 field that "a number of o바카라사이트r people had made contributions...that were at least as important" as Professor Hoffmann's.

She described Professor Hoffmann as "a canny politician".

Professor Lemaitre's account of his own contribution was also endorsed by Michael Levine, professor of genetics, genomics and development at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, and Pat Simpson, professor of comparative embryology at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.

Professor Simpson, who also worked in Strasbourg at 바카라사이트 time, agreed that Professor Hoffmann "was more of an administrator and communicator than a bench scientist.

"While he deserves credit for administering 바카라사이트 unit, he should have highlighted Bruno's role in 바카라사이트 research, as well as that of o바카라사이트rs, more equitably and forcefully," she said.

Professor Hoffmann did not respond to 바카라 사이트 추천's request for comment.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.