“Acceptance Speech” Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2023 in Biology and Biomedicine

Acceptance speech by Peter Walter, winner of the 2023 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, who was honored alongside F. Ulrich Hartl, Arthur Horwich and Kazutoshi Mori for their discoveries on the cellular mechanisms that control protein biogenesis and degradation. Walter and Mori independently identified the unfolded protein response (UPR), a system that enables cells to detect protein folding abnormalities and activate protective mechanisms.

Walter reflects on the unpredictable nature of scientific discovery and explains how his research led to the identification of a cellular communication pathway that regulates protein quality. He highlights how the mechanisms initially discovered in yeast are also present in human cells and have implications for diseases such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. He also emphasizes the value of curiosity, experimentation and teamwork in advancing scientific knowledge.