Notes to 'Apprentice to Genius' by Robert Kanigel (1985):

Chain of mentors

James Shannon: director NIH

Bernard B. ('Steve') Brody: anti-malaria drugs, drug metabolism

Julius Axelrod: drug metabolism

Solomon Snyder: opioids

Candace Pert, Gavril Pasternak, Diane Rusell: opiods

Terry Moody: bombesin receptor; Michael Kuhar: autoradiography in brain

Sol Snyder was the youngest full professor in the history of Johns Hopkins Univ.; 'idea man', rarely working at the bench. Snyder has reputation of 'stealing' other researchers results; very competitive, always trying to scoop them; e.g., competition for publishing the enkephalin story first after hearing about it from a different froup at a conference. Snyders approach: do it quick, don't spend too much time on details; conflicts with Pasternak, who was opposite.

Julius Axelrod was at first a technician under Brody, then moved on to get his Ph.D.; always working at the bench; he discovered COMT; considered a pioneer of modern neuroscience; won Nobel Prize in 1970.

Candace Pert co-discovered opiod receptors by binding studies (1973); used the antagonist naloxone as ligand.

Pedro Cuatrecasas: discovered insulin receptor by binding studies.

The book opposes various scientific approaches:

sloppy and fast vs. carefully and slow

idea man vs. bench man

take a flier (i.e., pursue your best guess first) vs. systematically trying everything

keeping things simple vs. trying to cover every aspect

Candace Pert one-liners:

"And what do you do besides standing around looking adorable?"

"Manic depressive psychosis is like diabetes of the dopamine receptor"

...the brain is "a little wet minireceiver for collective reality"

"You can't be secretive. [...] You have to surround yourself with the smartest people your ego can stand, then concentrate on the work, not on who'll get credit for it."

Snyder/Pert: Choose your problem with exquisite care, distinguishing those that are merely interesting from those that are important as well.

Snyder: "One experiment in the lab is worth a week in the library." So don't think about it too much. Just get hysterial and do it!

Snyder, even years after working with Julius Axelrod, would sometimes ask: "What would Julie do?". He wouldn't waste time on the trivial or the impossible. He'd keep it simple. He'd do it fast. He'd take a flier.

Albert Lasker Award for Basic Biomedical Research; is the 'American Nobel Prize'; Snyder has won it in 1978 for the opiate/enkephalin story; Pert was upset because she was not included, even though it was her work. Pert wrote a book (Molecules of Emotion) which is largely autobiographical.

Robert Merton (1967/1968): The Matthew Effect in Science: "Them that has, gets"

Most important U.S. schools: Harvard, Columbia, Berkeley, Princeton.


Other Links:
Bernard B. ('Steve') Brodie:
NIH/Stetten Museum of Medical Research
International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics
Lasker Foundation
BASi

Julius Axelrod:
Profiles in Science/National Library of Medicine
Nobel E-Museum
NIH/Stetten Museum of Medical Research

Solomon Snyder
Candace Pert

Lasker Award
NIH/Stetten Museum of Medical Research


Snippets:
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Database: Gene Knockouts from the online journal 'Frontiers in Bioscience', a non-profit organization created by scientists for scientists for fostering international scientific communication and for providing scientists, physicians and patients with a diverse array of information, tools and techniques.
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Video: The X-Files (1998). w/ David Duchovny (Agent Fox Mulder), Gillian Anderson (Agent Dana Scully), Martin Landau (Alvin Kurtzweil, M.D.). Mulder and Scully try to unravel a conspriacy around a dangerous alien virus.
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