Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Walter's exemplary and rigorous biochemistry work provided crucial tools for studying the entire life cycle of RNA.His dedication to the pursuit of robust evidence was inspiring for many, and helped drive forward several fields of research.Walter Keller graduated from the Medical Academy in Düsseldorf in 1962 as a medical doctor.At the time, it was not at all apparent that a path existed from clinical practice to the peaks of scientific research, yet probing through human pathology and genetics, inspired by serendipitous scientific encounters, Walter created a trail of scientific discoveries that changed the way we think of how cells control gene expression through transcriptional and post-transcriptional events.The formative years of Walter's research career were undoubtedly those spent at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (from 1969 to 1976), where he interacted and collaborated with eminent scientists, like Phil Sharp, Joe Sambrook, Rich Roberts and James Watson.During that time, before the introduction of recombinant DNA technology, he established himself as a brilliant and creative biochemist.His publications from this period, many of them with him as the sole author, addressed some of the burning questions of the burgeoning field of molecular biology and presaged some of his later contributions that illuminated the mechanisms and regulation of mRNA transcription and the role of chromatin in the process.RNA polymerases had been purified from animal tissues in the labs of Bob Roeder, William Rutter, Pierre Chambon and others.Walter's noteworthy contribution to the field was the purification of RNA polymerases from HeLa cells, which became the standard starting material for countless biochemical studies on transcription and other processes.
Source: RNA
Institution: University of Basel
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4382198169