Tom Cech to Davos: RNA research is 'still a big deal'
Nobel laureate Tom Cech will address political leaders, CEOs and tech pioneers from around the globe at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week. His message: RNA research is critical for human health and good for the global economy.
“The potential of RNA therapeutics right now is phenomenal,” said Cech, a distinguished professor of biochemistry at Boulder who won the 1989 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his RNA research. “But unfortunately, we are living at a time when RNA has become politicized.”
Cech will join RNA researcher and 2024 Nobel Prize winner Victor Ambros for a Wednesday morning talk titled He’ll also participate in a luncheon titled “Stories of Courage and Discovery.”
His visit comes as misinformation about the molecule abounds on social media, and public funding for some RNA-related research is under threat. In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human services moved to in contracts that funded mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccine development.
This week’s WEF meeting is expected to draw 3,000 leaders from 130 countries, including 400 top political leaders—President Donald Trump among them—and 850 top CEOS.
Cech said he hopes his visit can help shed light on the rich history and great promise of the long-overlooked molecule that has inspired 11 Nobel prizes and nearly 400 new drugs.
“This is not a new-fangled invention to be frightened of,” said Cech. “These are proven technologies built through science over the course of six decades and they have the potential to save millions of lives.”
