Trump’s policies disastrous for world: Nobel Laureate : The Tribune India

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Trump’s policies disastrous for world: Nobel Laureate

CHANDIGARH: US President Donald Trump will prove disastrous not only for the US but for the entire world.

Trump’s policies disastrous for world: Nobel Laureate

PGI Director Jagat Ram honours Prof Roger D Kornberg during a programme at the PGI in Chandigarh on Wednesday. Tribune photo



Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 26

US President Donald Trump will prove disastrous not only for the US but for the entire world. Nobel Laureate Roger D Kornberg, Professor of Medicine, Stanford University, USA, said at Panjab University (PU) here today. Kornberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2006 for his study on the process by which genetic information from DNA is copied to RNA, the molecular basis of eukaryotic transcription.

He further said the US would feel the heat of the restrictions imposed by Trump on the H1B Visa programme. Curbing talent inflow was a harmful exercise, he said. “The administration has suggested deep cuts in research, which will kill over half of the industry,” he said, adding that it takes a lot of time to build a research team and no time at all to destroy it. “The H1B Visa curbs will ruin research in the US,” the Nobel Laureate opined.

“Much of the industry in the US depends on its character of welcoming individuals of all nationalities and making them feels at home. Twenty-five per cent of the engineers in the Silicon Valley are from India and China,” he said.

Prof Kornberg added that the Congress would succeed in preventing these dangerous practises, which are harming the system.

‘Indian Govt should support research’

Emphasising the need to promote research and science in the country, Prof Kornberg said, “India has great talent. The potential here is unlimited and people are highly motivated. It is a great tragedy that people who pursue research are either unable to complete it or leave country. If the government supports science and research, like the way US has been doing, India can bring home many Nobel Prizes. The government must provide infrastructural and financial support so that scientists can pursue discovery.” He added that if solution to problems that are not possible today are to be found, the government must provide support. He went on to quote the example of the US which, has invested enormously in science and research. The Nobel Laureate opined that in India, most people take up engineering and medicine as their chosen professions as these two were reliable sources of income. Reacting to the current financial crisis being faced by Panjab University, Prof Kornberg said the university is capable of giving 100 times in return to the nation of what is given to it. “These things take time. The future of a country is not build overnight,” he said.


Most discoveries take place by chance 

  • Speaking at the PGI on the topic, “Basic Science, Back to Future”,  Prof Roger D Kornberg said most path-breaking discoveries in science were by chance. He advised young scientists to be keen observers and always try to find reasons for the results even if they are not on the expected lines. He showed his interest in collaborating with the PGIMER for future research.
  • PGI Director Jagat Ram welcomed him. Prof Kornberg has received many prestigious awards, including the Pasarow Award for cancer research, Gardner International award and the Merck Award. 
  • He discovered the nucleosome and discussed its clinical implications in medicine, which can actually be useful in genetic engineering, detection and therapeutic role in cancers, inflammation and various neurodegenerative disorders. His research is directed towards epigenetics, which forms the basis of genetic engineering. 

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