Richard Axel (* 2. July 1946 in New York) be a American physician. For the study of the smelling system he received 2004 the Nobelpreis for medicine and physiology together with Linda B. Buck.

Biography

Richard Axel was born 1946 in New York town center. Until 1967 it studied to the Columbia University in New York and went to it on John the Hopkins University School OF Medicine into Baltimore, where it attained a doctorate to 1970. 1978 he became a professor for pathology, molecular biophysics and biochemistry to the Columbia University and is since 1984 working group leader of the Howard Hughes Medical of institutes at this university.

1991 began its co-operation with Linda Buck, which was active as Postdoktorandin in its laboratory at that time. They together identified about 1,000 genes, which are responsible for the smell perception.

Work

The early research of Richard Axel was focused on the possibilities of the gene transfer of certain cells into almost any other cell. It concerned primarily the transfer from genes to production from active substances, which should be transferred into bacteria. In addition it employed with the rear virus and examined themselves the procedure, with which the viruses penetrate into healthy cells.

The later as well as current research of Richard Axel concerns itself with the question, how attractions will transfer to the brain. It concentrates, together with Linda Buck, on the range of the olfaktorischen attractions, thus on the processing of smell attractions. It examines the emergence and development of the smell receptors as well as the processing of smell attractions in the brain and their transformation in reactions, thoughts and behaviors.

It could state that the smell perception runs within different groups of animals very similarly, by comparing the genetics of the baptizing couch Drosophila more melanogaster with from mammals. Its working group could identify a gene family of approximately 1,000 genes, which are associated with the smell perception, by coding for different smell receptors. All these receptors are appropriate thereby in the smelling mucous membrane and are connected by nerves directly with the Bulbus olfactorius, thus for the brain region, which is responsible for the perception of smells. This region leads the impressions on the one hand into the Cortex of the brain again, where they are available for thought processes, on the other hand also to the Limbi system, affects which feelings and tendencies above all unconsciously.

By independent studies Axel and Buck could prove that each neuron heads for only one type of receptor and that in the smelling mucous membrane receptors developed the same are distributed after a coincidental sample, in the Bulbus olfactorius however all in the same region are noticed. In this way a compound smell feeling from different ranges of the mucous membranes develops in the brain.

Selected prices and appreciations

Richard Axel was honoured for its work with several prices and other appreciations, under it:

• John Hopkins Medical Society Research Award (1969)
• The Eli Lilly Award (1983)
• New York Academy OF Sciences Award in Biological and Medical Sciences (1984)
• Richard Lounsbery Award, national Academy OF Sciences (1989)
• Unilever Science Award (common with Linda Buck, 1996)
• New York town center Mayor's Award for Excellence in Science and Technology (1997)
• Bristol Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Neuroscience Research (1998)
• Alexander Hamilton Award of the Columbia University (1999)
• NY Academy OF Medicine Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Biomedical Sciences (2000)
• Gairdner Foundation internationally Award for Achievement in Neuroscience (2003)
• Perl/UNC Neuroscience Prize (common with Linda Buck, 2003)
• Nobelpreis for medicine and physiology (common with Linda Buck, 2004)

In addition it since 1983 member is that national Academy OF Scienve as well as that national Academy OF kind and Sciences, since 2003 in addition the American Philosophical Society

Related links

• http://nobelprize.org/medicine/laureates/2004/axel-cv.html
• http://www.hhmi.org/research/investigators/axel_bio.html
• http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/neurobeh/axel/personal/Richard_Axel.html

Articles in category "Richard Axel"

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