Richard Axel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Axel
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Axel in 2014
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| Born | July 2, 1946 New York City, U.S.
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| Education |
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| Spouse(s) | Cornelia Bargmann |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | Columbia University |
| Notable students |
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Richard Axel (born July 2, 1946) is an American scientist. He is a professor at Columbia University where he studies the brain and how it works. He is also a researcher at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Dr. Axel is famous for his work on the olfactory system, which is how we smell. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004 with Linda Buck. She used to be a researcher in his lab.
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Early Life and Education
Richard Axel was born in New York City on July 2, 1946. His parents were immigrants from Poland. He grew up in Brooklyn.
He went to Stuyvesant High School and graduated in 1963. Then he studied at Columbia University, earning his bachelor's degree in 1967. He later earned his medical degree (M.D.) from Johns Hopkins University in 1971.
Even though he earned a medical degree, he realized he preferred research. He promised his professors he would not work as a doctor. He found his true passion in scientific research. He returned to Columbia University that same year and became a full professor in 1978.
Groundbreaking Research and Discoveries
In the late 1970s, Dr. Axel and his team made an important discovery. They found a way to put new DNA into cells. This process is called cotransformation or transfection. It helps scientists make cells produce specific proteins.
This discovery was very important for medical research. It helped pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies develop new medicines. Columbia University earned a lot of money from the patents on this technique.
Understanding the Sense of Smell
In 1991, Dr. Axel and Linda Buck published a very important paper. They found the genes that control our olfactory receptors. These are special proteins that help us detect smells. They showed that these receptors belong to a group called G protein-coupled receptors.
By studying rat DNA, they guessed that mammals have about one thousand different genes for these smell receptors. This research was a big step forward. It helped scientists understand how we smell at a genetic and molecular level.
Later, Buck and Axel found something amazing. Each special cell in our nose that detects smells only uses one type of olfactory receptor protein. Also, all the signals from cells using the same receptor go to one specific area in the olfactory bulb in the brain.
Dr. Axel's main research focuses on how the brain understands smells. He maps which parts of the brain react to different smell receptors. Besides his work on smell, Dr. Axel also made important discoveries in immunology. His lab was one of the first to find the link between HIV infection and a protein called CD4.
Mentoring Future Scientists
Dr. Axel is not only a great scientist but also an excellent teacher. He has guided many scientists who are now leaders in brain research. Seven of his former students have become members of the National Academy of Sciences. Many others work with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Awards and Honors
Richard Axel has received many awards for his important work.
- In 1983, he became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.
- In 2004, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the sense of smell.
- In 2005, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
- In 2007, he was awarded the Double Helix Medal.
- In 2014, he became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS). This is a very high honor for scientists.
His nomination for the Royal Society said that he developed ways to put genes into cells. This helped find the gene for CD4, which is the receptor for the AIDS virus, HIV. It also mentioned his discovery of over a thousand genes involved in recognizing smells, which led to his Nobel Prize.
Personal Life
Richard Axel is married to Cornelia Bargmann, who is also a famous scientist studying the sense of smell. He was previously married to Ann Axel. When he was in high school, Dr. Axel was tall and played basketball.
See also
In Spanish: Richard Axel para niños
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
