Mario Capecchi
Mario Capecchi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | October 6, 1937 |
| Alma mater | Antioch College,Ohio Harvard University |
| Known for | Knockout mouse |
| Awards | Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research(2001) Wolf Prize in Medicine(2002)  Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine(2007) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Genetics |
| Institutions | Harvard School of Medicine Duke University University of Utah |
Mario Renato Capecchi(born 6 October 1937) is anItalian-bornAmericanmoleculargeneticist.He won the 2007Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicinewithMartin EvansandOliver Smithies.[1]
Capecchi is Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics and Biology at theUniversity of UtahSchool of Medicine, which he joined in 1973.
Life[change|change source]
Mario Capecchi was born in theItaliancity ofVeronain 1937. His father, Luciano Capecchi,[2]was an Italian airman who was reported as missing in action in theWestern Desert Campaign.[3]His mother, Lucy Ramberg, was the American-born daughter ofImpressionistpainter Lucy Dodd Ramberg andGermanarchaeologistWalter Ramberg.[4]DuringWorld War II,his mother was sent to theDachau concentration camp,[4][5]as punishment for handing out pamphlets and belonging to an anti-Fascistgroup.[6]Before her arrest she had sold her belongings and gave the money to a poor family nearBolzano,[3]to give her son a place to live.[2]After a year,[7]the money was spent and the family was unable to care for him. At four-and-a-half years old he was left to live on the streets of northern Italy for the next four years,[3]living in various orphanages and roving through towns with groups of other homeless children.[7]
He almost died of hunger. His mother had been freed from Dachau and began a year-long search for him. She finally found him in a hospital bed inReggio Emilia,[3]ill with a fever and living one bowl ofchicorycoffee and bread crust each day. She took him to Rome, where he had his first bath in six years.[7]
In 1946 his uncle,Edward Ramberg,[2]anAmericanphysicistatRCA,sent his mother money to return to the United States. Mario and his mother moved toPennsylvaniato live at a cooperative community which had been started by his uncle.[8]
In 1960 Capecchi came toMITas a graduate student to study physics and mathematics,[9]but he soon became interested inmolecular biology.He moved toHarvardto join thelaboratoryofJames D. Watson,co-discoverer of the shape ofDNA.[10]Capecchi received hisPhDinbiophysicsin 1967 fromHarvard University.
In 1973 he joined thefacultyat the University of Utah. Since 1988 Capecchi has also been an investigator of theHoward Hughes Medical Institute.He is a member of theNational Academy of Sciences.He has taught forDuke University's Program inGeneticsandGenomics.[11]
After the Nobel committee announced that Capecchi had won the Nobel prize, anAustrianwoman named Marlene Bonelli claimed that Capecchi was her long-lost half-brother, which he acknowledged was true.[12]
Knockout mice[change|change source]
Mario Capecchi is known for his work ingene targetingof the mouseembryonic stem cells.This helped him and others study how genes work. The work includescloningand genetic changing. The work ongene targetingandknockout micewon the 2007Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine,jointly withMartin EvansandOliver Smithies.
Dr. Capecchi has also pursued a systematic analysis of the mouseHox genefamily. This gene family is controlsembryonicdevelopment in allmulticellularanimals (metazoa).
Selected honours[change|change source]
- 1996 –Kyoto Prizein Basic Sciences
- 1996 – German Molecular Bioanalytics Prize
- 1997 – Franklin Medal for Advancing Our Knowledge of the Physical Sciences
- 1998 – Baxter Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences
- 2000 – Italian Premio Phoenix-Anni Verdi for Genetics Research Award
- 2001 –Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research,co-winner withMartin EvansandOliver Smithies.[13]
- 2001 – Spanish Jiménez-Diáz Prize
- 2001 – Pioneers of Progress Award
- 2001 –National Medal of Science
- 2002 – John Scott Medal Award
- 2002 – Massry Prize
- 2003 – Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research
- 2002/3 –Wolf Prize in Medicine
- 2005 –March of DimesPrize in Developmental Biology.[14]
- 2007 –Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine,co-winner withMartin EvansandOliver Smithies.[1]
References[change|change source]
- ↑1.01.1"The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2007".Nobelprize.org.Retrieved2007-10-08.
- ↑2.02.12.2Susan Sample (2007)."Scientist Profile: Mario Capecchi".University of Utah.Archived fromthe originalon 2008-04-02.Retrieved2008-03-23.
- ↑3.03.13.23.3Vittorio Zucconi(2007-10-07).""Ero un ragazzo di strada mia madre mi ha salvato""(in Italian). La Repubblica.
- ↑4.04.1Lois M. Collins (2007)."U. scientist Capecchi wins Nobel Prize".Deseret Morning News. Archived fromthe originalon 2009-02-20.Retrieved2008-03-23.
- ↑Karl Ritter and Matt Moore (2007)."US, UK scientists win Nobel in Medicine".ABC News.
- ↑Troy Goodman (2001)."U. scientist Mario Cappechi scores a 'knockout'".Salt Lake Tribune.Retrieved2007-10-08.
- ↑7.07.17.2Christopher Lee (2007)."From Child on Street to Nobel Laureate".Washington Post.
- ↑American Philosophical Society."Edward G. Ramberg Papers".American Philosophical Society. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-10-14.Retrieved2008-03-23.
- ↑Andrew Gumbel (2007-10-09)."Mario Capecchi: The man who changed our world".Belfast Telegraph.
- ↑Arkajit Dey (2007)."Two Nobel Prize Winners MIT-Affiliated".The Tech.
- ↑"Distinguished Lecture Series".Duke University.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-08.Retrieved2008-03-23.
- ↑Peter Popham (2007-10-18)."Reunion beckons for Nobel winner and his long lost step-sister".Belfast Telegraph.
- ↑"2001 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research".Lasker Foundation. Archived fromthe originalon 2001-11-02.Retrieved2007-10-01.
- ↑"March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology: Previous Recipients".March of Dimes. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-27.Retrieved2007-10-10.
Other websites[change|change source]
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute biographyArchived2012-03-02 at theWayback Machine
- Eccles Institute of Human Genetics biographyArchived2007-10-11 at theWayback Machine
- University of Utah biographyArchived2007-10-11 at theWayback Machine
- Interviews with Mario Capecchi from Dolan DNA Learning Center'sDNA Interactive
- Capecchi animation from Dolan DNA Learning Center'sDNA from the Beginning