James Watson, who discovered DNA double helix, wore regalia of Honoured Professor of SPbU and can now speak Russian
James Watson, an outstanding American biologist and geneticist, and Nobel Prize winner, has worn a regalia of Honoured Professor of SPbU at the ceremony in the first University in Russia. He was asked several questions: how to support world ideals, peoples’ friendship, and young talents. James Watson answered all three questions in perfect Russian.
James Watson, who discovered DNA structure, and SPbU have long-standing partner relationships, and he was awarded an Honoured Professor by the decision of the Academic Council of SPbU in 2004 for the discoveries in molecular biology in the second half of the 20th century. The Nobel Prize winner have delivered several lectures at SPbU.
“Today we celebrate 65-anniversary of the discovery of the DNA double helix, — said James Watson. — I am eager to hear about breakthroughs in science. I want to live long enough to successfully complete our work on DNA and in biochemistry. I am sure that we will make big progress against cancer in 5 years and win this horrible disease”.
James Watson entered the university when he was 15 and started to study ornithology. Then he took interest in genetics, and in 1962 he, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins were awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for the discovery of the DNA double helix, which opened a new era in biology, medicine and other fields of science. Moreover, James Watson has worked in oncology, for 25 years he has been the head of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he has been studying the cancer genetics. He is father of the Human Genome Project to study genome sequence, and recently he has started to study genes of the psychotic disorders.
“I am pleased to say that those fields of study James Watson has been developing are at the forefront of science in SPbU, — said SPbU’s Vice-Rector for Research Sergei Aplonov. — We have Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Centre for Bioinformatics and Algorithmic Biotechnology, Autoimmunity Mosaic Laboratory, Centre for genome Bioinformatics which develops the Russian Genome Project, a continuation of the Human Genome Project founded by Prof Watson”.
After the ceremony James Watson delivered a lecture “70 Not Boring Years in Science” and said to the students and young scientists: “Everybody here, to my mind, has excellent future, and if science is your way of life, you will succeed”.
For reference:
The Honoured Professor of SPbU is awarded to outstanding people in science, education, culture, public figures, and officials who have contributed to global research, cultural, economic and political cooperation.
SPbU has 129 Honoured Doctors, among them is Aleksey the Second (Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in 1990–2008); Orhan_Pamuk, Nobel Prize winner, writer; Valerii Gergiev, Art Director of the Mariinsky Theatre; Evgenii Primakov, political figure; Vasilii Leontiev, Nobel Prize winner in Economics; Marek Halter, writer; and Thiede Jörn, a world; leading specialist in marine geology, oceans studies, and paleoceanography.