Biju Dharmapalan

Sir Richard John Roberts FRS  is a British biochemist and molecular biologist. He was awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Phillip Allen Sharp for the discovery of introns in eukaryotic DNA and the mechanism of gene-splicing. Their discovery has changed our view on how genes in higher organisms develop during evolution.  The discovery of split genes has been of fundamental importance for today’s basic research in biology, as well as for more medically oriented research concerning the development of cancer and other diseases.

Since 1992, Roberts has been working as a research director at New England Biolabs, a small molecular biology reagent company located in Beverley, Massachusetts. His current research focuses on DNA methylation in bacteria and the use of bioinformatics to discover new bacterial gene functions.

He is currently leading a campaign that includes 131 Nobel Laureates who support the inherent safety of GMO techniques for improving plant varieties, especially those needed by developing countries.

In this special online interview with Biju Dharmapalan, he talks about his journey in science, genetically modified organisms, AI in labs and his vision for future science…read more on NOPR