The Lithuanian scientific community is disappointed: prof. Bat

This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and Jennifer A. Doudna of the United States. In 2018, together with these scientists, Professor V. Šikšnys from the VU Life Sciences Center received the prestigious Kavli award for the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9, or the so-called “gene scissors”. Kavli Award, according to VU GMC Director Dr. Gintaras Valinčius, is as important as the Nobel Prize.

When asked how Dr. G. Valinčius appreciates such a decision by the Nobel Prize Committee, he made no secret of his disappointment. “It is clear that the Nobel Prize is awarded for really meaningful work. It is gene editing that can be applied in a wide variety of fields: from plants and organisms to humans and other mammals. Today’s Nobel Prize, which is dedicated to the two truly outstanding researchers, E. Charpentier and JA Doudna, is truly deserved.

As a Lithuanian scientist, director of a Lithuanian research institution, employing another scientist, V. Šikšnys, who has not really earned less in this field and made smaller discoveries than JA Doudna and E. Charpentier, I can only regret it as director of that institution. I am a bit confused that the decision of the Nobel Committee, whose reasons are not made public, does not include the name of V. Škšnis. ” Delphi says dr. G. Valinčius.

Remember that the Kavli Prize was awarded to V. Šikšnis and currently to the winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Dr. G. Valinčius notes that the Kavli Prize Committee considered the achievements of V. Šikšnius as equivalent to E, Charpentier and JA Doudna.

“Why did the Nobel Prize Committee make such a decision? Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t answer. In my eyes, it must have been different. But I don’t have all the information, motives and arguments that the members of the Nobel Prize Committee followed. I can only express my regret and frustration at such a decision. And the field of science itself, the discoveries, certainly deserve such high recognition from the world scientific community. This probably does not reflect reality to any degree, but the attitude of the committee members towards the contribution of the authors of that discovery ”, says Dr. G. Valinčius.

For many years, the Lithuanian scientific community held its breath and waited for the announcement of the Nobel Prize winners in the field of chemistry, as there was a real possibility of hearing the name of V. Šikšnis. Today we know that this hope has been “washed away.”

As the Vice Chancellor of Vilnius University Edita Sužiedėlienė said to prof. From BNS. V. Šikšnys has been in the same rank as today’s winners from the beginning, so it is very disappointing. According to her, just by having won the Kavli Prize, it was possible to expect that V. Šikšnys would also become a Nobel Prize winner.

Both V. Šikšnys with the team and E. Charpentier and A. Doudna introduced this technology in 2012.

“Eight years is a very short period of time during which the award is presented, which means that it really is a very important contribution to scientific knowledge,” said the VU Vice Chancellor.

And can we hope to wait for the announcement of the Nobel Prize winners soon? Dr. Mr. Valinčius responds that we must understand that the Nobel Prize is indeed a very important assessment. “This is an exceptional assessment that has been provided for over a hundred years. There is also a certain name, in economic parlance: a trademark. When you actually hear the name ‘Nobel Prize’, everyone thinks that this is already the ultimate achievement. high and that there is nowhere else to rise in science. One must understand that the discovery or work, the achievement of each scientist, is evaluated not so much by a commission of 15-30 people, as in this case, but history. In the long term, the importance of the work carried out by one or another researcher is revealed, “says Dr. G. Valinčius.

He adds that there are many discoveries in the world that have not been awarded the Nobel Prize, and there are also discoveries that few know about, but have received the Nobel Prize. “I have to say that the Nobel Prize Committee’s decision actually selects the best of the best, but because there are so many of the best in the world, meticulous selection does not always include all the important achievements. There are lottery items here too. There is a personal attitude, the closeness of one or another expert to another, that is what determines that decision.

Certainly, there are a number of important scientific achievements in Lithuania. And in the life sciences, and in photonics, chemistry and mathematics. They may not be very widespread. The Nobel Prize should not be seen as a basketball competition: ours will win this year. There is an element of the lottery and it is not the only measure or criterion by which we must evaluate scientific works, ”says Dr. G. Valinčius.

E. Charpentier, 51, and JA Doudna, 56, are only the sixth and seventh women to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.