After receiving the 16th BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, Arthur Horwich describes in this interview how his work, together with that of his colleagues, revealed the essential role of molecular “chaperones”—in particular the protein Hsp60—in ensuring that other proteins fold correctly inside cells. This discovery uncovered a fundamental cellular machinery: without proper folding, many proteins would be unable to perform their functions, a failure that is linked to serious diseases. Horwich explains in clear terms why understanding this process opens the door to new therapeutic strategies and highlights the importance of basic biology for unraveling the mysteries of life.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine has gone in this sixteenth edition to F. Ulrich Hartl, Arthur Horwich, Kazutoshi Mori and Peter Walte
After receiving the 16th BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, Arthur Horwich describes in this interview how his work, together with that of his colleagues, revealed the essential role of molecular “chaperones”—in particular the protein Hsp60—in ensuring that other proteins fold correctly inside cells. This discovery uncovered a fundamental cellular machinery: without proper folding, many proteins would be unable to perform their functions, a failure that is linked to serious diseases. Horwich explains in clear terms why understanding this process opens the door to new therapeutic strategies and highlights the importance of basic biology for unraveling the mysteries of life.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine has gone in this sixteenth edition to F. Ulrich Hartl, Arthur Horwich, Kazutoshi Mori and Peter Walter “for revealing how cells control protein biogenesis and degradation, central not only to physiology but also disease pathogenesis and therapy”.
00:00 Introduction
00:05 Could you define the HSP60 chaperonin that you discovered together with Professor Hartl, and explain why this mechanism is so important for understanding protein folding?
03:03 What is the therapeutic potential of your research for treating neurodegenerative diseases, and when do you anticipate that such treatments may begin to benefit patients?
