Yoshinori Ohsumi

Yoshinori Osumi 20151029

John Dirks Yoshinori Osumi Kenjiro Monji and D Lorne Tyrrell 20151029

Yoshinori Osumi 20161003

Yoshinori Ohsumi (Japanese: 大隅 良典, born February 9, 1945) is a Japanese cell biologist known for his groundbreaking research in autophagy, the process by which cells break down and recycle their own components. Ohsumi's work has significantly advanced our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of cellular degradation and renewal, processes critical to the maintenance of cellular health and the prevention of diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and infections.

Early Life and Education

Yoshinori Ohsumi was born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. He developed an interest in the biological sciences during his high school years. Ohsumi went on to study science at the University of Tokyo, where he received his undergraduate degree in 1967. He continued his studies at the same university, earning a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 1974. His doctoral research focused on the genetics of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a model organism that has been crucial to the understanding of cellular biology.

Career and Research

After completing his Ph.D., Ohsumi conducted postdoctoral research at the Rockefeller University in New York City, where he began his studies on the mechanisms of DNA replication and recombination in yeast. Upon returning to Japan, he took a position at the University of Tokyo's College of Arts and Sciences as an assistant professor. In 1988, Ohsumi moved to the National Institute for Basic Biology in Okazaki, where he started his pioneering research on autophagy in yeast cells.

Ohsumi's most significant contribution to the field of cell biology was his discovery of the mechanisms of autophagy in yeast in the early 1990s. He identified the genes essential for autophagic processes and demonstrated that a similar autophagic mechanism existed in human cells. This discovery opened new avenues for the study of how cells maintain their health and how the disruption of autophagy can lead to disease.

Awards and Honors

Yoshinori Ohsumi's contributions to science have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. Most notably, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2016 for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy. Other significant awards include the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences (2012), the Keio Medical Science Prize (2015), and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2017).

Impact and Legacy

Ohsumi's research has had a profound impact on the field of molecular and cellular biology, providing insights into the critical process of autophagy and its role in health and disease. His work has paved the way for the development of new therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy to treat various diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.

Selected Publications

Yoshinori Ohsumi has authored numerous influential papers in the field of cell biology. Some of his most cited works include studies on the genetics of autophagy in yeast and the implications of autophagy in human health and disease.

See Also

• Autophagy
• Cell biology
• Molecular biology
• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine