Blackburn Offers Insight into Telomeres and Telomerase

December 16, 2008

Molecular biologist Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, offers insights into the prediction and discovery of telomerase, a remarkable enzyme that synthesizes telomeres, the tiny units of DNA that seal off the ends of chromosomes, protecting them and maintaining the integrity of the genome.

Blackburn, the Morris Herzstein Endowed Chair in of Biology and Physiology in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF, has received prestigious awards for laying the foundation for studies that have linked telomerase and telomeres to human cancer and age-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease.