What is Carol Greider known for?
I am best known for discovering telomerase, the enzyme that adds DNA to the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres. This work began in 1984 when I was a graduate student with Elizabeth Blackburn, using Tetrahymena, a single-celled organism. We found that telomerase solves the 'end replication problem'—how chromosomes copy their tips without losing genetic information. This discovery earned us the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009. It opened up new avenues for understanding cellular aging, since telomeres shorten with each cell division, and cancer, where telomerase is often reactivated to allow unlimited growth. My research has always emphasized basic science: asking a simple question about how chromosomes end led to profound insights into human health.
Ask Carol Greider the follow-up →