Paul Nurse
Paul Nurse
Sir Paul Maxime Nurse FRS FREng, is an English geneticist, former President of the Royal Society and Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Leland Hartwell and Tim Hunt for their discoveries of protein molecules that control the divisionof cells in the cell cycle...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionScientist
Date of Birth25 January 1949
british-scientist chair complete edinburgh offered southern surprise university
At the end of the 1980s as a complete surprise my old Edinburgh friend, Ed Southern offered me the Chair of Microbiology at the University of Oxford.
biology british-scientist cells gene issue key terms time workers
A key issue in developmental biology at that time was the problem of how cells underwent differentiation, with most workers concentrating on explanations in terms of changes in enzyme and gene regulation.
british-scientist pivotal
My 6 years with Murdoch were pivotal for my entire research career.
brighton british-scientist decided excellent genetics good molecular reputation tradition university work
I decided that the University of Sussex in Brighton was a good place for this work because it had a strong tradition in bacterial molecular genetics and an excellent reputation in biology.
british-scientist encouraged enjoyed innate primary school seem teachers time
I enjoyed my time at primary school because my teachers made the world seem such an interesting place and encouraged my innate curiosity.
although astronomy british-scientist interest regularly telescope
My life-long interest in astronomy started then and I still regularly use a telescope for astronomical observations, although very much as an amateur.
anne british-scientist children sarah stay whether wondering
It was now 1980 and Anne and myself had two little children Sarah and Emily, and we were wondering whether to stay permanently in Edinburgh.
analysis british-scientist cell cycle greater interest led molecular progress taken work
This progress in the molecular analysis of the cell cycle led to more interest being taken in my work and as a consequence to greater competition.
associated british-scientist guinness laboratory left local meant school technician work
This meant that when I left school I had to work as a technician in a microbiological laboratory associated with the local Guinness brewery.
biologist birmingham both british-scientist extremely general time
My time as an undergraduate at Birmingham was extremely stimulating both as a biologist and also for my more general intellectual development.
data innovation together
Ever since Sir Isaac Newton's times, scientists have worked in the same sort of way: They show a great respect for experiment and observation, They don't cherry pick data, They take a skeptical approach to what they do. And then scientists work together to get a consensus as to what should be believed And that generates very reliable knowledge and that reliable knowledge drives innovation
effort important essentials
I felt strongly that since the pursuit of good science was so difficult it was essential that the problem being studied was an important one to justify the effort expanded.
mountain pilots enthusiastic
I am still a keen mountain walker and an enthusiastic glider pilot.
stars winter sky
During the winter my attention was attracted to the changes in the stars and planets in the sky.