Piet Borst facts for kids

Piet Borst (CBE) was born on July 5, 1934, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is a very important scientist who studied biochemistry and molecular biology. He used to be a professor at the University of Amsterdam (UVA). For many years, until 1999, he was also the research director and chairman at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and the Antoni van Leeuwenhoekziekenhuis (NKI-AVL). Even after he retired, he kept working there as a staff member and led a research group until 2016.

Piet Borst's Science Journey

Piet Borst started studying medicine in Amsterdam in 1952 and finished his training in 1962. He earned his PhD by studying tiny parts inside cells called mitochondria in tumors. His supervisor was Edward Slater.

After that, he moved to New York City. There, he worked with another scientist, Charles Weissmann, on how bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) copy themselves. They worked in the lab of Severo Ochoa, who had won a Nobel Prize. In 1965, Piet Borst became a professor of Biochemistry at the University of Amsterdam. He led a group that studied how enzymes work in the body and how cells use their genetic material. From 1972 to 1980, he also helped direct the Institute of Animal Physiology at the university. He set up the first group for studying molecular biology there.

In 1983, Borst moved to the Netherlands Cancer Institute – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital. He became the director of research and later the chairman. He still kept his honorary professor title at the University of Amsterdam. After he officially retired in 1999, he continued to run his lab. His team studied how cancer cells become resistant to chemotherapy drugs. They also looked at how certain proteins move drugs around the body. Another big discovery was a new part of DNA called Base J, which his group found in tiny parasites called trypanosomes.

Piet Borst also talked a lot about science and how it should be managed in the Netherlands. In the 1970s, he spoke up during big discussions about recombinant-DNA experiments, which involve changing DNA. As a director of the cancer institute, he often shared news about cancer research and treatments with the public through newspapers, radio, and TV. He was part of a special group that advised the Dutch prime minister on new ideas. For 23 years, he wrote a monthly article for a major newspaper, the NRC Handelsblad.

One of his students who went on to become a famous scientist is Jan Hoeijmakers.

Important International Roles

Piet Borst held many important positions in international science organizations:

• From 1978 to 1984, he was an elected member of the EMBO Council, even serving as vice-president for some of that time.
• He was on the Scientific Advisory Board of the EMBL in Heidelberg, Germany, from 1985 to 1991, and was its President from 1988 to 1991.
• He advised the Basel Institute for Immunology in Switzerland from 1986 to 1990.
• He was on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna, Austria, from 1986 to 1993.
• From 1991 to 2004, he was part of the Scientific Committee for the Louis Jeantet Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland, and became President of the jury for their prize in 1997.
• He advised the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC) in Switzerland from 1992 to 1998.
• From 1994 to 2000, he was on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London, UK.
• He advised the Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie in Heidelberg, Germany, from 1999 to 2005.
• From 2000 to 2005, he was on the External Scientific and Strategic Committee of the Institute Pasteur in Paris, France, and was its chairman from 2004.
• He was on the Supervisory Board of Schering A.G. in Berlin, Germany, from 2000 to 2006.
• From 2004 to 2008, he chaired the Scientific Advisory Board of the Fritz-Lipmann Institut in Jena, Germany.
• He was on the Scientific Advisory Board of the London Research Institute in the UK from 2005 to 2012.
• He was a member of the Board of Scientific Governors of The Scripps Research Institute in the USA from 2005 to 2012.
• From 2013 to 2016, he was on the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA) in Groningen, Netherlands.

Special Honors

Piet Borst has received several special honors:

• In 1999, he was made a Commander in the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
• In 2007, he became an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Science Awards

He has also won many awards for his scientific work:

• 1981: Royal Dutch/Shell-prize for the Life Sciences (Netherlands)
• 1984: Paul-Ehrlich und Ludwig-Darmstaedter Prize, Germany (shared with Prof. George Cross)
• 1984: F.M.V.V. Prize of the Dutch Federation of Medical Scientific Societies
• 1989: Howard Taylor Ricketts Award of the University of Chicago, USA
• 1990: Dr. G. Wander award of the Wander Foundation in Bern, Switzerland
• 1990: Gold medal of the Genootschap voor Natuur-, Genees- en Heelkunde in Amsterdam
• 1992: Dr. H.P. Heineken prize for biochemistry and biophysics of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences
• 1992: Gold medal of the Robert Koch Foundation in Cologne, Germany
• 1993: Prof.dr P. Muntendam prize of the Dutch Cancer Society
• 1999: Silver Medal of merit of the City of Amsterdam
• 1999: Medal of the University of Amsterdam for exceptional contributions to the university
• 2000: Hamilton Fairley Award for Clinical Research, European Society for Medical Oncology, Hamburg.
• 2007: The distinguished Service Award, awarded at the Miami Nature Biotechnology Winter Symposium, Miami Beach, Florida, USA.
• 2010: Gebroeders Bruinsma Erepenning van de Nederlandse Vereniging tegen de Kwakzalverij, Amsterdam.
• 2023: Lasker-Koshland Special Achievement Award in Medical Science.

Membership in Science Groups

Piet Borst is a member of several important academic groups:

• 1978: Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 1983: De Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen
• 1986: Foreign Member of the Royal Society
• 1989: Academia Europaea
• 1991: Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, United States
• 1995: International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, United States
• 2009: Fellow of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences

Key Discoveries by Borst and His Team

Piet Borst and his colleagues made many important discoveries. Here are some of them:

• They found a new way that cells transport energy, called the "Borst cycle."
• They showed how viruses (bacteriophages) copy their RNA, keeping the original and new strands separate.
• They discovered that the DNA inside mitochondria (the powerhouses of cells) is made of small circles that are all the same. This meant most mitochondrial proteins must come from outside the mitochondria.
• They helped develop a method called ethidium-agarose electrophoresis to separate different forms of DNA. They also showed that long DNA molecules move like snakes through the gel.
• They found a new organelle (a tiny cell part) in parasites called trypanosomes. This organelle, called the glycosome, holds enzymes for energy production.
• They discovered that genes in the mitochondria of yeast can contain "introns," which are parts of genes that are removed before the gene is used.
• They figured out how African trypanosomes change their outer coat to hide from the body's immune system. This involves moving pieces of DNA around.
• They found that all messenger RNAs (mRNA) in trypanosomes are made in a special way called "trans-splicing."
• They studied the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres, and found that they can grow and shrink. They also discovered that trypanosome telomeres end in repeating DNA sequences, which were later found in human telomeres too.
• They introduced a method called PFG electrophoresis to separate very large DNA molecules, even whole chromosomes, from tiny organisms.
• They developed the first test to detect Zellweger syndrome before birth. This is a serious genetic disease where cells lack certain organelles called peroxisomes.
• They showed that certain proteins, called P-glycoproteins (ABCB1), protect the body by transporting drugs out of important areas like the brain (the blood-brain barrier) and the gut.
• They proved that another P-glycoprotein, Mdr2/MDR3 (ABCB4), is essential for making bile in the liver.
• They identified the first ABC-transporter in a parasite called Leishmania. This transporter helps the parasite resist certain drugs.
• They discovered a new base in the DNA of trypanosomes and similar parasites, which they named "J."
• They found that African trypanosomes can change their transferrin receptor. This helps them take up iron from different animals, even as animals evolve.
• They figured out how base J is made and that it acts as a signal to stop RNA production in Leishmania.
• They showed that the MRP (ABCC) family of drug transporters has many members. They also found new natural substances that these transporters move, like plant hormones, prostaglandins, and new types of amino acids.
• They created the first mouse model of a tumor that could be used to study how cancer cells become resistant to chemotherapy drugs.
• They identified new proteins, REV7 and HELB, that help stop DNA repair processes. This can affect how cancer cells respond to drugs.
• They found that a channel in cells, called the Volume-Regulation Anion Channel, helps anti-cancer drugs get into cells.
• They discovered that a genetic disease called Pseudoxanthoma elasticum, which causes calcium buildup in tissues, happens because a protein called MRP6 (ABCC6) is missing in the liver. This leads to low levels of a substance called pyrophosphate (PPi) in the blood, which normally prevents calcification.