Korean Scientist Reveals How Cells Repair Their Skeletons; Wins July Science Award
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Seohun Noh, a professor in Seoul National University’s Department of Life Sciences, won the July Korea Scientist Award for discovering how cells regenerate their cytoskeleton. Using cryo-electron microscopy, his team mapped at near-atomic detail how chaperone regulator proteins manage tubulin (a core cytoskeleton protein) by forming a mega-complex that selects properly folded tubulin for assembly and directs damaged or misfolded tubulin for degradation and recycling. This reveals the cytoskeleton is maintained by a continuous two-way quality control system of checking, repair, and reuse. The finding, published in Science in October, shifts the field from studying simple structure formation to investigating regeneration and repair mechanisms, and could open new paths for treatments for aging-related conditions such as dementia, cancer, and muscle diseases. Noh highlighted the importance of Korea’s cryo-EM research infrastructure for achieving this work and said he will continue probing fundamental life mechanisms to better understand aging and disease.
