Elizabeth Blackburn
Co-discoverer of telomerase and Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine.
Elizabeth Helen Blackburn was born on 26 November 1948 in Hobart, Tasmania, the second of seven children. Both of her parents worked as family physicians. When she was four, her family moved to Launceston, where she attended Broadland House Church of England Girls' Grammar School until age sixteen. After the family relocated to Melbourne, she went to University High School and performed exceptionally well on the statewide final matriculation exams. She earned a Bachelor of Science in 1970 and a Master of Science in 1972, both in biochemistry from the University of Melbourne. She then received her PhD in 1975 from Darwin College at the University of Cambridge, working with Frederick Sanger at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology on methods for sequencing DNA using RNA and studying the bacteriophage Phi X 174.
During her postdoctoral work at Yale, Blackburn studied the protozoan *Tetrahymena thermophila* and observed a repeating hexanucleotide sequence at the end of the linear rDNA, which she identified as CCGGGG or similar. This sequence was tandemly repeated and not varying in size. Later, in collaboration with Jack Szostak and others, the telomeric repeat was identified as TTAGGG. Contrary to earlier assumptions, these telomeric repeats are not palindromic; they are tandem repeats with a G-rich overhang. Using the telomeric repeat from *Tetrahymena*, Blackburn and Jack Szostak demonstrated that unstable replicating plasmids in yeast were protected from degradation, confirming that these sequences had telomere-like properties and that the repeats were evolutionarily conserved between species. The research also suggested that the chromosome replication system was unlikely to add to telomere lengthening; instead, the addition of these hexanucleotides probably came from an enzyme capable of transferring specific functional groups.
This idea of a transferase-like enzyme led Blackburn and PhD student Carol W. Greider to discover, in 1985, an enzyme with reverse transcriptase activity that could fill in the terminal ends of telomeres, preventing chromosome shortening and loss of genetic material. They later purified the enzyme in the lab, finding it contained both RNA and protein components. The RNA served as a template for adding telomeric repeats, while the protein provided the enzymatic function.
- Born
- 26 November 1948, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Field
- Biochemistry, molecular biology
- Nationality
- Australian–American
- Known for
- Co-discovery of telomerase
- Awards
- 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Lore & Background
Elizabeth Blackburn was born in Hobart, Tasmania, the second of seven children, to family physicians. Her family moved to Launceston when she was four, and she attended Broadland House Church of England Girls' Grammar School until age sixteen. After relocating to Melbourne, she attended University High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in 1970 and a Master of Science in 1972, both in biochemistry from the University of Melbourne. She received her PhD in 1975 from Darwin College, University of Cambridge, working with Frederick Sanger on methods to sequence DNA using RNA and studying bacteriophage Phi X 174.
During postdoctoral work at Yale, Blackburn studied the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila and observed a repeating hexanucleotide sequence at the ends of linear rDNA, which she identified as CCGGGG or similar. This sequence was tandemly repeated and not varying in size. The telomeric repeats are not palindromic; they are tandem repeats with a G-rich overhang. The TTAGGG sequence was later identified in collaboration with Jack Szostak and others. With Szostak, she showed that these repeats protected yeast plasmids from degradation, confirming their telomere-like properties and evolutionary conservation.
Reader's Guide
Elizabeth Blackburn's co-discovery of telomerase fundamentally changed understanding of cellular aging and chromosome protection. Telomerase replenishes telomeres, preventing the loss of genetic information during cell division, and its discovery linked the enzyme to both cellular aging and cancer cell proliferation. The 2009 Nobel Prize recognized this work as a revolutionary catalyst in molecular biology. Blackburn's career also includes significant contributions to bioethics; her dismissal from the President's Council on Bioethics in 2004, which she attributed to her opposition to the Bush administration's stance on stem cell research, sparked widespread protest from scientists. Her leadership at the Salk Institute and her ongoing research at UCSF on telomeres and aging underscore her lasting influence. The discovery has opened avenues for studying cancer, aging, and potential therapeutic interventions.
Did You Know?
- Blackburn was the first Australian woman to win a Nobel Prize.
- She co-discovered telomerase in 1984 with Carol W. Greider.
- Her dismissal from the President's Council on Bioethics led 170 scientists to sign an open letter in her support.
- She co-founded the company Telomere Health, which offered telomere length testing to the public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Elizabeth Blackburn?
Elizabeth Blackburn is an Australian–American biochemist and molecular biologist born on 26 November 1948 in Hobart, Tasmania. She is widely recognized as a co-discoverer of telomerase and a 2009 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine.
What is Elizabeth Blackburn most famous for?
She co-discovered telomerase, the enzyme responsible for maintaining the protective caps (telomeres) at chromosome ends. This breakthrough reshaped scientific understanding of how cells age and why genomic stability matters.
What major award did Elizabeth Blackburn receive?
In 2009 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work elucidating how chromosomes are safeguarded by telomeres and the telomerase enzyme.
Where did Elizabeth Blackburn grow up and study?
Born the second of seven children to two family physicians in Hobart, she was raised in Launceston and later Melbourne. She completed her BSc (1970) and MSc (1972) in biochemistry at the University of Melbourne.
What field of science does Elizabeth Blackburn work in?
Her research sits at the intersection of biochemistry and molecular biology, with a particular focus on chromosome structure, telomere biology, and the mechanisms that protect genetic material during cell division.
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