Kiyoshi Nagai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kiyoshi Nagai
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Kiyoshi Nagai, November 2018
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| Born | June 25, 1949 |
| Died | September 27, 2019 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Alma mater | Osaka University (BSc, MSc, PhD) |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology |
| Thesis | (1978) |
| Doctoral advisor | Hideki Morimoto |
Kiyoshi Nagai (June 25, 1949 – September 27, 2019) was a Japanese scientist. He was a structural biologist, which means he studied the shapes of tiny parts of living things. He worked at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. Dr. Nagai was famous for his research on how RNA splicing works. He also studied the structures of the spliceosome, a tiny "machine" inside cells.
Education and Early Career
Kiyoshi Nagai went to Osaka University in Japan. There, he earned his PhD degree. His research focused on how hemoglobin works. Hemoglobin is a protein in our blood that carries oxygen.
In 1981, Dr. Nagai moved to the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the UK. He worked with a famous scientist named Max Perutz. Together, they studied how to make large amounts of proteins. They used a type of bacteria called E. coli for this work. Dr. Nagai also studied hemoglobin using special techniques. These included X-ray crystallography, which helps scientists see the shapes of molecules.
Discoveries About RNA Splicing
In 1987, Kiyoshi Nagai became a group leader at the LMB. This meant he led his own team of researchers. From 2000 to 2010, he also helped lead the Division of Structural Studies.
One of his team's big discoveries was in 1990. They figured out the first structure of a protein called RRM. This protein helps cells recognize and bind to RNA. RNA is like a messenger molecule in our bodies. In 1994, they showed exactly how this RRM protein attaches to RNA.
Dr. Nagai's team then focused on the spliceosome. This is a very important and large "molecular machine" inside cells. Its job is to edit RNA messages. This editing process is called RNA splicing. It's like cutting out unwanted parts of a message and joining the good parts together. His team used X-ray crystallography to study different parts of the spliceosome. They looked at various components, like the U1 and U5 snRNPs.
From 2014, Dr. Nagai's group started using a newer method called cryo-electron microscopy. This technique allowed them to see even more details of the spliceosome. They studied how the spliceosome is put together. Their work, along with others, helped scientists understand how pre-mRNA splicing happens. This is a crucial step for cells to make correct proteins.
Awards and Recognition
Kiyoshi Nagai received several important awards for his scientific work:
- In 1999, he became a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).
- In 2000, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- Also in 2000, he received the Novartis Medal from the Biochemical Society.
