[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 147 (Monday, October 20, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING RODERICK MacKINNON ON HIS RECEIPT OF THE 2003 NOBEL PRIZE IN 
                               CHEMISTRY

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                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 20, 2003

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. 
Roderick MacKinnon on his receipt of the 2003 Nobel Prize in chemistry 
for his research on the biophysics of cells, which revealed the 
intricate process of electrical signaling in human beings and other 
living organisms. Dr. MacKinnon conducted much of this research at the 
National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, a 
federal scientific research institution that is located within the 
First Congressional District of New York. His work has the potential to 
enhance the lives of millions, as it has contributed to a deeper 
understanding of such diseases as cystic fibrosis and heart 
arrhythmias, which will likely lead to more effective ways of treating 
these devastating illnesses.
  Dr. MacKinnon's research focused on the study of ion channels, the 
pores through which vital materials--potassium, chloride, calcium and 
sodium ions--enter or leave the cells of the body. In 1998, Dr. 
MacKinnon was the first to determine the structure of an ion channel 
and, through a process called crystallography, produced exceptionally 
detailed portraits of the potassium ion structure. These high 
resolution ``snapshots'' not only revealed the basic structure of an 
ion channel, but also the process by which ions are expelled or 
admitted by cells. This process, electrical signaling, involves the 
rapid fire opening and closing of the channels to release ions and move 
electrical impulses from the brain in a wave to their destination in 
the body. Dr. MacKinnon's research determined the specific conditions 
that control whether ion channels are opened or closed, a process that 
puzzled researchers for over 50 years.
  The discoveries made through Dr. MacKinnon's work offers researchers 
a renewed potential for understanding and curing illnesses derived from 
defective ion channels. Such diseases, many of which affect the 
kidneys, heart, muscles, and nervous system, cause ion channels to 
interfere with proper electrical signaling and can be fatal. Dr. 
MacKinnon's findings have refined the medical community's understanding 
of how ion channels slam shut or remain open and other critical bodily 
functions. This discovery offers important insight into the future 
development of drugs to control channels more precisely, and can 
potentially save human lives.
  Dr. MacKinnon received a B.A. degree in biochemistry from Brandeis 
University in 1978 and an M.D. from Tufts University in 1982. He has 
served as a full faculty member at Harvard Medical School, professor 
and head of Laboratory Molecular Neurobiology and Biophyics at The 
Rockefeller University, and was appointed an investigator of the Howard 
Hughs Medical Institute. In recognition of his work on ion channel 
structure and function, Dr. MacKinnon received the 1999 Lasker Award, 
the 2000 Rosenstiel Award, and the 2001 Gairdner Award.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in commending Dr. Roderick MacKinnon on his important 
accomplishments in the field of biophysics, and his receipt of the 2003 
Nobel prize in Chemistry. Dr. MacKinnon's work represents a significant 
contribution to medical research, and offers great potential to finding 
cures to many of the world's most devastating diseases. I am very proud 
that Dr. MacKinnon is associated with Brookhaven National Laboratory, 
an institution that has produced five Nobel Prize recipients since its 
founding, and I applaud him for his many contributions to science and 
the medical profession.

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