Scientist At Scripps Research In La Jolla Receives Nobel Prize

SAN DIEGO, CA — A scientist at Scripps Research in La Jolla Monday jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Ardem Patapoutian was selected for his use of "pressure-sensitive cells" to discover a class of sensors that "respond to mechanical stimuli in the skin and internal organs," according to the Nobel Committee.

The Nobel Committee said these findings include two ion channels that are necessary to human senses and have been proven to regulate other physiological processes, including blood pressure and bladder control.

"The breakthrough by Patapoutian led to a series of papers from his and other groups, demonstrating that the Piezo2 ion channel is essential for the sense of touch," the Nobel committee wrote in a press release issued around 3 a.m.

"Moreover, Piezo2 was shown to play a key role in the critically important sensing of body position and motion, known as proprioception."

The 53-year-old Patapoutian is a professor of molecular and cellular neuroscience at Scripps Research, whose faculty he joined in 2000 as an assistant professor of cell biology.

Patapoutian is also an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Scripps Research.

Patapoutian was born in Beirut, attended the American University of Beirut before emigrating to the United States in 1986. He received a bachelor's degree in molecular, cellular and development biology in 1990 and a doctorate in biology from Caltech in 1996.

David Julius was awarded for his findings using capsaicin — a compound found in chili peppers — to identify a sensor in nerve-endings that respond to heat. The 66-year-old Julius has been a professor at the University of California, San Francisco since 1989.

"Dr. Patapoutian, together with Dr. Julius, unlocked one of the mysteries of life, how do we sense temperature and pressure," said Peter Schultz, president and CEO of Scripps Research.

"The Nobel Prize is wonderful recognition of these discoveries. I have followed Dr. Patapoutian's career closely since he first came to Scripps Research and can say that he is an extraordinary scientist, mentor, and colleague and a wonderful person."

— City News Service