Hamilton Smith, Nobel laureater on International Congress for Mycoplasma
Date: 2008-07-10
July 9th,2008
17th international congress for mycoplasma held in Tianjin Medical University, China. Hamilton ? Smith (Hamilton O. Smith), an old person with white-hair and amiable smile, attracted everyone's attention when he walked to the platform. Mr. Smith is the famous Nobel Prize laureater on Physiology and Medicine in 1978.
During the one hour speech Mr. Smith introduced the latest research achievements done by his team in recent years. by systematically removed genes in Mycoplasma genitalium in the past period, Hamilton Smith and his research team make a conclusion that the minimum genes needed to maintain a living cell are about 400 genes.
As early as November 21st, 2001, Hamilton Smith and Craig Venter, a world-knowned gene research expert, pre-president of Celera Genomics enterprise (USA) announced that they would begin a new study with the goal to a new specie which is not exist in nature in the laboratory by using synthetic genetic material. The U.S. Energy Department contribute 3 million U.S. dollars of funds for their project. Mycoplasma genitalium, the smallest organism who only has one chromosome was as research object in this project. They firstly removed all the genetic material in natural Mycoplasma genitalium cells and then synthesized the least chromosomes which is needed to contain a living bacteria. Artificial chromosome will eventually injected into Mycoplasma genitalium which has removed genetic material. Hamilton Smith detailly explained how to study gene fragments using restriction enzyme and molecular biology approach in his speech. After his speech he discussed the technical details with the participants.
Although the world famous were all gathered in this International Congress for Mycoplasma, Hamilton Smith's arrival was the very bright light to this congress.
