PITTSBURGH, Sept. 22 A pioneer in the field of gene regulation will present this year's Dickson Prize in Medicine Lecture at the University of Pittsburgh's sixth annual science and technology showcase, Science2006: Feel the Power. Roger D. Kornberg, Ph.D., is a Stanford University scientist known for his work focused on the transcription of genes into proteins, which are the building blocks of all cells. The lecture will begin at 11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 5, in Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Ave., on Pitt's campus in Oakland.
Dr. Kornberg is one of four prominent scientists who will present plenary lectures during the two-day event, which is scheduled Oct. 5 and 6. All Science2006 events are free and open to the public.
The Dickson Prize in Medicine, the most prestigious award presented by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, recognizes individuals who have made significant, progressive contributions to the field of medicine. Established in 1969 by the estates of Joseph Z. Dickson, M.D., and his wife, Agnes Fischer Dickson, the prize consists of a bronze medal and an award of $50,000.
Dr. Kornberg's presentation, titled "Chromatin and Transcription," is based on his research on various components of transcription, the process by which the genetic information encoded in DNA is transferred to the cellular assembly mechanism responsible for protein synthesis. Breakthroughs such as the discovery of the nucleosome the unit into which the DNA double helix and associated proteins called histones are compressed to fit within a cell's nucleus have resulted from Dr. Kornberg's work, which has greatly enhanced the understanding of the transcription process and how it is regulated.
Further investigation of the transcription machinery's structure at the molecular level is the focus of Dr. Kornberg's current research, along with the structure and function of chromatin, the DNA-protein complex found in the nucleus, and its role in the
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Contact: Kelli McElhinny
McElhinnyKM@upmc.edu
412-647-3555
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
22-Sep-2006