Jan 06 2015 : Mirror (Pune)
`Science is all about questioning'
Pallavi Smart TWEET @ThePuneMirror
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Ada Yonath, first female Nobel laureate from West Asia, on scientific research as a connected whole, rather than different subjects
Beginning research work at a young age is key. Research is all about finding answers and this curiosity is best honed when one is young.“ These were Israeli crystallographer Ada Yonath's enthusiastic words as she took the stage at Bharati Vidyapeeth on Monday. Yonath, the first woman from the West Asia to win the Nobel Prize was chief guest at the institute's 16th convocation ceremony.“Do not chase money, awards or titles. Chase excellence instead and success will come to you,“ she urged.
Yonath won the Nobel for chemistry in 2009, sharing the honour with Indian-born American physicist and molecular biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and American biophysi cist and biochemist Thomas Steitz, for her research on the atomic structure and function of cellular particles called ribosomes.
Currently, she serves as director of the Helen and Milton A Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
In conversation with Mirror after the ceremony, Yonath shared her insights and observations on research work in India, and her firm belief in the inter-connectedness of all scientific fields.
How do you see research work in India progressing?
It is certainly moving forward but I feel a more interdisci plinary approach is needed.
Focused research may reach inconclusive ends be cause the researcher is looking at the subject from a single perspective. Researchers need to be open to questioning from all aspects of science. There could be times when one has to answer questions on biology in the field of chemistry.
What are your thoughts on increasing and improving research work in India?
Start young! I began experiment ing when I was five years old the balcony in our house was my first laboratory. Currently, research projects are for postgraduate or doctoral students. This could change research could be un dertaken by graduate or even un dergraduate students. Science could be made more exciting. On a more practical note, officials need to introspect on whether well-equipped laboratories, supporting infrastructure and qualified teachers are available.
Students in India are often attracted to professional science courses such as bio-tech and engineering rather than pure science courses. Your thoughts on this?
Why does science need to be divid ed? Bio-tech, engineering, a regu lar B Sc -all these are merely differ ent forms of science and they are all connected. What is important is to encourage students to do research work and not limit them.
Any specific field where more research is required?
I suppose research work in biology is a little tepid if compared to phys ics and mathematics. However, in stead of seeing science as separate subjects, it would be far more bene ficial to find questions which are as yet unanswered and start explor ing them. Let's not limit science to subjects which divide.
Yonath won the Nobel for chemistry in 2009, sharing the honour with Indian-born American physicist and molecular biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and American biophysi cist and biochemist Thomas Steitz, for her research on the atomic structure and function of cellular particles called ribosomes.
Currently, she serves as director of the Helen and Milton A Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
In conversation with Mirror after the ceremony, Yonath shared her insights and observations on research work in India, and her firm belief in the inter-connectedness of all scientific fields.
How do you see research work in India progressing?
It is certainly moving forward but I feel a more interdisci plinary approach is needed.
Focused research may reach inconclusive ends be cause the researcher is looking at the subject from a single perspective. Researchers need to be open to questioning from all aspects of science. There could be times when one has to answer questions on biology in the field of chemistry.
What are your thoughts on increasing and improving research work in India?
Start young! I began experiment ing when I was five years old the balcony in our house was my first laboratory. Currently, research projects are for postgraduate or doctoral students. This could change research could be un dertaken by graduate or even un dergraduate students. Science could be made more exciting. On a more practical note, officials need to introspect on whether well-equipped laboratories, supporting infrastructure and qualified teachers are available.
Students in India are often attracted to professional science courses such as bio-tech and engineering rather than pure science courses. Your thoughts on this?
Why does science need to be divid ed? Bio-tech, engineering, a regu lar B Sc -all these are merely differ ent forms of science and they are all connected. What is important is to encourage students to do research work and not limit them.
Any specific field where more research is required?
I suppose research work in biology is a little tepid if compared to phys ics and mathematics. However, in stead of seeing science as separate subjects, it would be far more bene ficial to find questions which are as yet unanswered and start explor ing them. Let's not limit science to subjects which divide.
