Ardem Patapoutian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ardem Patapoutian
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Ardem Patapoutian in 2022
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| Born | October 1, 1967 (age 57–58) Beirut, Lebanon
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| Education | American University of Beirut University of California, Los Angeles (BS) California Institute of Technology (MS, PhD) |
| Known for | research of PIEZO1, PIEZO2, TRPM8 receptors |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2021) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Molecular biology, neuroscience |
| Institutions | Scripps Research |
| Thesis | The role of the MyoD family genes during mouse development (1996) |
| Doctoral advisor | Barbara Wold |
Ardem Patapoutian (born 1967) is a scientist who studies molecules and the nervous system. He was born in Lebanon and is also an American citizen. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2021.
Patapoutian is famous for finding special "receptors" in our bodies. These receptors help us feel things like pressure, cold, and even the coolness of menthol. He discovered the PIEZO1, PIEZO2, and TRPM8 receptors. He works as a professor at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. In 2021, he shared the Nobel Prize with David Julius for their amazing discoveries.
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Early Life and Education
Ardem Patapoutian (Armenian: Արտեմ Փաթափութեան) grew up in Beirut, Lebanon. His family was Lebanese Armenian. His father, Sarkis Patapoutian, was a poet and an accountant. His mother, Haiguhi Adjemian, was a school principal.
Ardem went to Armenian schools in Beirut. He studied at the American University of Beirut for a year. In 1986, he moved to the United States. He earned a degree in biology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990. Later, he received his PhD in biology from the California Institute of Technology in 1996.
After his PhD, Patapoutian did more research at the University of California, San Francisco. In 2000, he became a professor at the Scripps Research Institute. Since 2014, he has also been a researcher for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Understanding How We Feel: Patapoutian's Research
Patapoutian's main research focuses on how our bodies sense temperature and touch. His work helps us understand how we feel heat, cold, and pressure. This knowledge can lead to new ways to treat conditions like long-lasting pain.
Discovering Touch Receptors
Patapoutian and his team looked for genes that make cells sensitive to touch. They found a gene that, when removed, made cells unable to feel touch. They named the channel for this sense PIEZO1. The word "piezo" means "pressure."
They then found another similar gene, which they called PIEZO2. This ion channel is very important for our sense of touch. Both PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 also help control other body functions. These include blood pressure, breathing, and bladder control.
Sensing Temperature and Pain
Patapoutian also found other ion channels and receptors. These are activated by temperature changes, pressure, or changes in cell size. His research showed that these channels are key to how we feel temperature and touch. They also play a role in how we sense pain and how our blood vessels work.
His recent work uses advanced genetic methods. These methods help identify and study ion channels that respond to mechanical forces. This field is called mechanotransduction.
Awards and Honors
Ardem Patapoutian has received many awards for his scientific work. He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2017. He also joined the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020.
In 2020, he won the Kavli Prize for Neuroscience. This award recognized his important discoveries about how our nervous system senses things.
In 2021, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He shared this prize with David Julius. They won for finding the receptors that help us feel temperature and touch.
After winning the Nobel Prize, Patapoutian received special honors. In October 2021, the President of Lebanon gave him the Lebanese Order of Merit. In December 2021, he received the Golden Plate Award from the Academy of Achievement.
Recognition in Armenia
Ardem Patapoutian is the first Armenian Nobel laureate. When he visited Armenia in June 2022, he received a hero's welcome. The Prime Minister of Armenia gave him the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots. The Armenian National Academy of Sciences made him an honorary member. The Yerevan State Medical University also gave him an honorary doctorate.
Patapoutian gave a copy of his Nobel medal to the History Museum of Armenia. The Armenian post office, HayPost, even issued a stamp honoring him.
See also
In Spanish: Ardem Patapoutian para niños
