Where exactly do we come from? What makes us unique human beings? Today (October 3), with the announcement of this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , the field of award-winning winners leads the public to revisit this ultimate human proposition.
Swedish Caroline School of Medicine today (October 3) announced that the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Swedish scientist Swant Pebo for his contributions to the research of the extinct ancient human genome and human evolution . Pebo will receive a bonus of 10 million Swedish Kroner (approximately RMB 6.42 million).
So, what kind of research is he doing? What does it mean to us now? Why did this year's Nobel Prize "fall" in the field of paleogenetics? Our reporter interviewed many experts in related fields on this.
"The modern man in the world who understands Neanderthals best" exploring the mystery of human evolution
When some people take everything for granted, some people keep asking: Where do we come from? What is our relationship with our predecessors? Why, in the end we survived? This is the questioner of Pebo, born in 1955. In order to solve the mysteries related to the origin of in , he searched for answers in the extinct human genome study, extracted, sequenced and drawn sketches of Neanderthal genomes, and analyzed the genetic differences between all modern humans and extinct humans.
in his series of groundbreaking studies, sequenced the Neanderthal genomes and was repeatedly mentioned.
Neanderthals were an ancient human discovered in the Neanderthal Valley in Germany in 1856. In 1997, Pebo and colleagues reported the sequencing results of Neanderthal mitochondrial DNA, which was considered an "impossible thing." Because, this is the first time that scientists extracted DNA from extinct humans and successfully sequenced it. Since then, Pebo has been committed to the study of Neanderthals. In 2014, NeanderthalMan, a book about how he and his colleagues completed the first Neanderthal genome sequencing. Therefore, Pebo is known as "the modern person who understands Neanderthals the best in the world."
What is the far-reaching significance of this research? In fact, by revealing and distinguishing the genetic differences between all living humans and extinct humans, Pebo discovered that genes had been transferred from extinct human race to Homo sapiens , and ancient genes flowed to today's humans - this has important significance for physiology at present. For example, affects the response of our immune system to infection.
, who worked with Pebo at the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany 2, Director of the Institute of Anthropology of Xiamen University , Professor Wang Chuanchao , in an interview with our reporter yesterday, said that Pebo's decades of "finding" have caused people to constantly think about fundamental issues such as "Why did the human beings that have been extinct before" and "why are we?" His research found that some genes are related to language expression and some are related to psychological conditions, which is helpful for humans to build community structure.
As the Nobel Prize jury said, his discovery provided the basis for exploring how we “become a unique human being.”
completes the "almost impossible task" and contributes valuable technical methods to human evolution research
Through decades of continuous research, Pebo has also established a brand new discipline - paleogenomics. Equally important, he also contributed valuable methods and techniques to human evolution research, especially ancient human research, such as the ancient DNA ultra-clean laboratory.
is not only Neanderthals, but Pebo also sensationally discovered an extinct human - Denisovan , which was obtained entirely through genomic data obtained from a small phalanx specimen.
Why is it difficult to engage in ancient human research? In short, because there are very few bones available for study; even if there are, after hundreds of thousands of years of precipitation, they have long been covered with bacteria, viruses, soil organisms, sediments, etc.In this regard, Li Hui, professor at the School of Life Sciences at Fudan University, gave a vivid example to the reporter, "It is almost impossible to find a lost ring in a huge amount of urban garbage." The fact is that Pebo not only did it, but also developed a series of technical methods and established technical means for it. "Just like inventing a specific hook , the ring can be quickly matched and hung out in massive amounts of garbage," said Li Hui.
DNA is located in two different locations in the cell: nucleus DNA contains most of the genetic information, while the remaining small part is located in mitochondrial . After ancient humans died, DNA degrades over time and is contaminated by DNA from bacteria and contemporary humans.
In fact, since Pebo began his ancient DNA research in the 1980s, he has been working hard to explore the experimental technology of ancient DNA and establish the standards for ancient DNA research. "In the long river of history, a lot of genetic information has disappeared. Without the research methods of ancient DNA, the mixed race, migration, substitution and other events in the history of human evolution may never be clear." , , associate professor at the School of Life Sciences and Technology, Shanghai University of Science and Technology, said that Pebo innovated the research methods of paleo-human genomics, and steadily improved the methods of isolating and analyzing DNA from the remains of ancient bones, which also provided examples and reference basis for later scholars to extract the ancient DNA of enrichment targets.
Nowadays, with the emergence of amplification and sequencing technologies such as molecular cloning, PCR, second-generation sequencing technology, primer extension capture and liquid hybrid capture, ancient DNA research has become a field with a wide range of uses and great development prospects.
reveals more the mysteries of in the history of human evolution. More research has just begun.
has techniques and methods. The exciting proposition attracts latecomers: how humans originate. As the Nobel Prize judges said, "Many questions raised by his research have given many inspirations to the field of medicine and are also being continuously researched by other scientists."
For example, a Chinese research team previously discovered fossils of the Denisovan bones of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. More than 100,000 years ago, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was in the largest ice age of the Quaternary period, and was extremely cold and lacking oxygen. Ancient humans have survived here. Some scientific research has found that Denisovans may carry genes that adapt to the high and cold and hypoxic environment. Scientists believe this may explain why plateau races can adapt to plateau environments.
Pebo's research undoubtedly provides an important channel for humans to understand themselves better. Professor Zhang Feng , deputy director of the National Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Fudan University, said that this basic research is also of great significance to understanding the occurrence and development of human diseases and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Why do some people blush when drinking, but some people don’t? Why do some people use targeted drugs to work, but some people fail? This is all about genes. Zhang Feng said that Pebe's research also revealed an interesting secret: there is "gene transfer" between different early races, and certain genes are transferred from extinct races to Homo sapiens. "Why are some genes transferred and some genes eliminated? The evolution process may be a problem of environmental adaptation. Perbo's discovery has given people a new understanding of the history of human evolution, but there are more unsolved mysteries waiting for future generations to explore."
Dr. Perbo's discovery is of great significance. It reveals the population distribution on the earth when Homo sapiens walked out of Africa and came to all parts of the world. Neanderthals live in the west of Eurasian , while Denisovans live in the east. When our ancestors came to these areas, they also had mating with them, leaving eternal traces in our DNA.
"Accidentally, touched, and very excited! It must be beneficial to the development of this discipline!" In Xiamen , he learned that "senior colleague" Pebo won the Nobel Prize and learned that the Nobel Prize was awarded to the field of paleogenetics. Wang Chuanchao was very excited. He repeatedly emphasized to reporters, "Pebo's research is like 'opening a door', which gives everyone more possibilities so that later generations can do their best."
is like a hypothesis pointed to by all Pebo's research-human beings is not accidental.This series of research is not over, but has just begun.
Author: Tang Wenjia Li Chenyan
Editor: Tang Wenjia Li Chenyan
Image source: Nobel Prize official website screenshot
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