The Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) said on the 1st that they selected Noh Seong-hun, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Seoul National University, as the July recipient of the Korea Scientist and Engineer Award.
The Korea Scientist and Engineer Award is given to researchers who have produced original research outcomes over the past three years and contributed to the advancement of science and technology. One person is selected each month to receive the vice minister-level award from the Ministry of Science and ICT and prize money of 10 million won.
Professor Noh was recognized for elucidating at the molecular level how the cytoskeleton, which is involved in maintaining cell shape, transporting substances, and cell division, is formed and restored. In particular, he was credited with uncovering how the Shaperon proteins that regulate tubulin, a key cytoskeletal protein, operate, offering a new clue for research into aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
The cytoskeleton is an essential structure for maintaining cellular function, but it can become damaged and unstable as aging or disease progresses. Abnormalities in the cytoskeleton are known to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and muscle disorders, but how the cytoskeleton is formed and regenerated at the molecular level had long remained unclear.
Noh's team used cryogenic electron microscopy to analyze at the atomic level how tubulin and Shaperon proteins bind and operate. They found that multiple Shaperon proteins form a single large complex and that normal tubulin is used for assembly, while damaged or misassembled tubulin is degraded for recycling. The findings on cytoskeletal regeneration were published in October last year in the international journal Science.
Professor Noh has pursued structural biology in the fields of protein homeostasis and cell regeneration. He released research results that identified the dynamics of protein folding in 2022 in the international journal Cell, and released three-dimensional structural findings on the ribonucleic acid (RNA) cleavage enzyme Dicer in 2023 in Nature.
Professor Noh said, "It is meaningful that we were able to clarify the principles of cytoskeletal regeneration by leveraging the cryogenic electron microscopy research infrastructure built domestically," and added, "We will continue research that identifies the fundamental principles of life phenomena and contributes to understanding aging and disease."