V. Narry Kim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
V. Narry Kim
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V. Narry Kim
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| Born |
Vic Narry Kim
1969 (age 55–56) Yeonggwang, South Jeolla, South Korea
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| Nationality | South Korean |
| Alma mater | Seoul National University University of Oxford |
| Known for | MicroRNA |
| Awards | Asan Award in Medicine (2019) Scientist of the Year Award (2016) S-Oil Leading Scientist of the Year (2013) Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea (2013) Amore Pacific the Grand Prize (2010) Ho-Am Prize in Medicine (2009) L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Award (2008) Woman Scientist/Engineer of the Year Award (2007) Thomson Scientific Citation Laureate Award (2007) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry, molecular biology |
| Institutions | Institute for Basic Science, Seoul National University |
| Doctoral advisor | Alan J. Kingsman |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
김빛내리
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| Revised Romanization | Gim Binnaeri |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Pinnaeri |
V. Narry Kim is a scientist from South Korea. She is a biochemist and microbiologist. She is famous for her important work on tiny molecules called microRNAs. These molecules help control how our bodies work. Her studies have helped us understand microRNAs better. They have also improved how we use RNA interference in science.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kim was born in South Korea in 1969. She became interested in science when she was in high school. She once said she loved "the simplicity of the principles" that make life so complex.
University Studies
Kim studied microbiology at Seoul National University (SNU). She earned her first degree in 1992. Then she got her master's degree in 1994. After that, she went to the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. There, she earned her PhD in biochemistry in 1998. She studied how certain proteins in viruses work.
Scientific Career
After her studies, Kim moved to the United States. She worked as a research assistant at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This was at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She did research on how cells check their genetic messages.
Return to Korea and Key Discoveries
In 2001, Dr. Kim returned to Korea. She started working at Seoul National University. By the time she was 35, she had published many important papers. These appeared in famous science magazines like Science and Nature. She also holds patents for her research.
In 2012, she became the first director of the Center for RNA Research. This center is part of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS). Her lab studies how tiny RNA molecules, especially microRNAs (miRNAs), control genes. These small RNAs are involved in almost everything our cells do.
MicroRNAs and Health
Controlling miRNAs is very important for healthy cells. If they don't work right, they can be linked to diseases like cancer. Dr. Kim's lab has learned a lot about how miRNAs are made. This research could lead to new ways to treat cancer. It might also help with stem cell engineering.
New Technologies for Health
In 2013, Dr. Kim and Professor Jin-Soo Kim developed a new method. They found a way to remove specific microRNAs. This new technology could help cure cancer and other illnesses. They used special enzymes called TALENs. These enzymes had been used to make proteins before. But this was the first time they were used to remove microRNAs.
Their team made 540 different TALENs for this purpose. When they used this method on cancer cells, the cancer cells grew much slower. This big discovery was published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
Understanding MicroRNA Production
Dr. Kim's first paper as a lead researcher was published in 2002. In this important work, she explained how microRNAs are made. She showed that it happens in two main steps. First, in the cell's control center (the nucleus). Then, in the main part of the cell (the cytoplasm). She was the first to suggest this model.
Her group also found that special proteins help make microRNAs. They discovered how these proteins work together. These findings have helped scientists design better tools for gene research. They have also improved RNA interference technologies.
COVID-19 Research
More recently, Dr. Kim's team studied the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This is the virus that causes COVID-19. They found new RNA parts of the virus. This work involved scientists from different fields.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Kim has received many awards for her work. These include the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science in 2008. She also won the Ho-Am Prize in Medicine in 2009. In 2013, she received the Top Scientist and Technologist Award of Korea. She is also a member of important science groups. She has been named one of the top Asian scientists to watch.
