2 Nobel Prizes Hoffmann + Lehn a.o. to EuroFora on Shanghai and Strasbourg University projects

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- 2 Nobel Prizes' Scientific Researchers of Strasbourg's University, Jules Hoffman (Physiology/Medicine, 2011) and Jean-Marie Lehn (Chemistry, 1987), speaking to "EuroFora" on the occasion of a special Ceremony attended by many Scientists, CoE Diplomats, Elected Politicians, Students, and full of People, to Welcome Home the 2011 New Prize Winner, both confirmed their Will to advance forward in concrete new Projects, without excluding even to cooperate together in some joined activities in the Future. But even if this would certainly ameliorate Strasbourg University's standing in Europe and at the Shanghai Global Ranking, it's not yet certain that it will be enough to boost its rank up to the Heights which meet the Ambitions of the 1st French University to have become "Autonomous" in 2009, at the borderlines with Germany and Switzerland, in an area hosting EU Parliament's Plenaries and EU Ombudsman, the CoE, ECHR, Shengen, EuroCorps, European Pharmacopea, Human Frontier, International Space University, EU RadioTV ARTE, Rhine's Navigation International Committee, European Science Foundation, the best Seismologic Center in Europe, and several other prestigious Organizations of European/International fame in Science, Law and Politics, close to several other important outlets at nearby Germany and Switzerland, which has just started to prepare a brand new "Institute of Advanced Studies", in possible cooperation with nearby Freiburg, due to host visiting Top level Scientists from around the World, together with its pemanent, landmark "Gutenberg circle", composed exclusively by Nobel Prize Winners and/or Academicians, (to whom was added last year also Professor Westhof, UniStra's vice-President for Research+, for his work on RNA structure and functions).

But the rare fact that both Nobel Prize winners have been both Educated and allocated breakthrough Research possibilities in Strasbourg, where they have almost spend all their Life until now, might give a stronger boost, at least in Shanghai's International University Ranking, (See supra and infra), than if they had lost time in "mobility" elsewhere, experienced observers noted.

(+ See also other NewsReport with 2011 Nobel Prize Hoffmann's more Statements to "EuroFora" on a differend, Specific issue).
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- "I was, indeed, in Shanghai and elsewhere in China, not only for the award of the Shaw Prize (a kind of Asian "Nobel Prize", established since 2004 by Shanghai-born but USA-educated Millionaire Run Run Shaw, based in Hong Kong and Taiwan), but also for some Lectures", observed Hoffmann in reply to an "EuroFora"s question.

- "But we hadn't at all foreseen the Nobel prize", and, therefore, certain Shanghai meetings had to be cancelled at the last minute,  when we learned about that, Hoffmann added.             

 - "We were together in Shangai. I was with my Husband  when we first heard about the Nobel prize, and it was such a Surprise that, at the beginning, we couldn't even believe it", said to "EuroFora, his wife and collaborator, Daniele Hoffmann, smiling just by remembering the event.
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+ Professor Lehn, already 1987 Chemistry Nobel Prize, who stressed that he "knows" Eurofora", was Positive, even if rather vague for the moment, on prospects of Future cooperation with Hoffmann :

- "Yes, it's possible, and I have some ideas in mind", Lehn simply replied to "EuroFora"s question, before speaking together with Hoffmann, later-on.

However, he wasn't yet convinced that this might be mainly done with "New Drugs" invention and/or development based on macro-molecules as polymers etc., including some proteins used also by Hoffmann and other Immune System researchers, since "my (personal) focus is on Supra-molecular chemistry", as Lehn reminded to "EuroFora".

But this is also a level reportedly used also for invention of "New Materials", as well as various Drugs' recipients and/or "vehicles" ("capsules" etc), i.e. offering various obvious possiblities for Complementarity with Hoffmann's Drug creation approach.
Lehn currently is the main backbone of Strasbourg University's projects who recently won the "Future" and "Excellence" labels triggering long-term Funding by the Great Loan decided by French President Sarkozy in order to boost Economy - Scientific Research links related to Innovation able to develop Competitiveness and Growth, (in harmony with a similar "Excellence" initiatives in SRT launched in parallel by nearby Germany by his main partner, chancellor Merkel, a former scientist in Physics as well as her husband, a professor of Chemistry).

Lehn had notoriously received various proposals from Foreign Universities, "including (the famous) MIT" of USA, but decided to settle in his "native" University in Strasbourg. - "Whenever I want I get in touch and communicate with many Foreign Research centers around the World, including USA, Russia, etc.", while also being able to travel a lot, participate in European or International Conferences, etc, Lehn had told "EuroFora" earlier.
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+ Dr Hoffmann's wife and collaborator, Daniele, to "EuroFora" :
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+ Hoffmann also said today that, even if he had received several "proposals of posts, both abroad and elsewhere in France", he had decided to "stay here", in Strasbourg, whose "attractivity" had already started to create a "cosmopolitan spirit", (Geist) on the spot.

- "A lifespan of a Scientific career has many aspects : Initially, it's focused at working on Labo experiments. Afterwards, comes a period where it's also about Training young researchers. Followed by another, where more and more time is given in managing a group or structure, finding Funds to support new projects, etc. And then, it's also about promoting results and making Science and ideas known to the Peuple. It's never about doing always the same thing !", resumed for "EuroFora" 2011 Nobel prize winner Hoffmann's wife, Daniele, (who has always been also one of his closest, long-time collaborators).

As UniStra's President Beretz had just observed earlier, the 2011 Nobel Prize indeed had found in Strasbourg University also his wife, Daniele, "as also Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker"...
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- However, it's not because that they are (both) Nobel Prizes that they might work together", observed Strasbourg University's President Beretz, for Lehn and Hoffmann, to "EuroFora".

- "We (UniStra) are already busy into how to use best the Money that we've just got on our "Projects for the Future", so that we have, still, to see what we might do more in a possible next step", cautiously but openly replied Strasbourg University's President Alain Beretz to an "EuroFora"s question about eventual New Projects stimulated by Hoffmann's Nobel Prize win.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        - "It's not a University which might augment the value of (valorize) a Nobel Prize winner. It's a Nobel Prize Winner who can augment the Value of (valorizes) a University, since, thanks to the Nobel Prize, it can became more Famous, more Visible".

- "So that, we (Strasbourg's University) don't have to valorize him. On the contrary, it's him (i.e. the Nobel Prize winner, now Hoffmann, added to Lehn) who will show us the way, I believe", by what he has done, and/or wishes to do inside it", optimistically observed to "EuroFora" UniStra's President Alain Beretz.

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 - "By a coincidence, Dr. Jules Hoffmann was at Shanghai (China) when the Nobel Prize was anounced, where is also located the world-famous University Rating system, while the French Government has repeatedly expressed its ambition for Strasbourg University to start moving, during the next few years, towards the first 10 of Shangai's International Universities' Rating. In this regard, is it true, as some recently observed, that Hoffmann's Nobel prize might be Doubly helpful, because he was both educated and worked as a Researcher in Strasbourg ?", "EuroFora" asked Beretz.

- "Yes. Shanghai's rating includes a calculation also about both where a Nobel Prize was educated, and where he received the Prize, etc.. But, at least for the time being, Shanghai's rating is not a topical issue for us", replied to "EuroFora"s question Strasbourg University's President.

-Indeed, as the "Gutenberg circle"'s Secretary General, Gerard Bellitto, explained to "EuroFora", the prestigious Think Tank which brings together all Nobel Prize Winners and Academicians  working in Strasbourg's Alsace Region, had already been obliged to propose, during the 2008 French EU Presidency, for the EU to create its own Universities' Rating system, at least as long as the Shanghai's initial Rating doesn't evolve in order to take into account also important particularities of Regions of the World, as Europe, which have some key specific characteristics :

- "Initially, Shanghai's Rating of Universities Worldwide had been simply made in order for Chinese Authorities to be able to choose where to send their Students abroad to study for a while, according to simple and objective criteria. But, afterwards, when it became World famous and started to be used around the World, it became obvious that it wasn't well fit everywhere, and needs to be updated :  F.ex., on Publications, it only takes into account some English language Scientific Editions, ignoring French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian and other languages' Media, which are, nevertheless, frequently used in Europe for Law and Economy, Political Science and Sociology, Philosophy and Religion, Art and Culture, History and Psychology, etc. In addition, Shanghai's current Rating is based just on a distinction between each Organisation's and each Universitues' own structures, and, thus, doesn't reflect well the reality in some European Countries as France and Germany, etc., in which exist also big National Research Organizations with Regional outlets, as the CNRS, Max-Plank, etc., because it calculates separately the Researchers paid by the National bodies, from those paid by the Universities, even if they are working together, in a same local site, often even inside the same building and offices, whose expenses might be shared 50%-50% between CNRS or Max-Plank and a University. But, in this way, Strasbourg's Alsace region, which hosts, f.ex., the Biggest implantation of CNRS' researchers out of Paris' capital, is hindered to use them in the current Shanghai Rating System, unless it becomes adequately updated in order to take into account all Scientific Publications and all Scientific Research really done by People working at a University's site", Bellitto concluded.

+ "However, it's true that, if the system proposed by (French) President Sarkozy, for Autonomous Universities attracting Scientific Research inside them, develops even further,  f.ex. as it's currently being progressively done in Strasbourg, (comp. Sarkozy's recent statements, at his November 2011 visit to the University of Strasbourg, where he pleaded in favor of concentrating "Research at the heart of the University", See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot), then; it might become possible for this second problem to be more or less solved by the concentration of most Researchers inside Universities", he observed.
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+ Westhof, Gutenberg's cercle + :

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Strasbourg University's potential also benefits recently by the Award of the title of "Academician" in France to Hoffmann's successor as New Director of the Biological and Molecular Institute (IBMC), Professor Eric Westhof, a Belgian educated at the USA and Germany, specialized in RNA Structure and Functions, who has become UniStra's vice-President in charge of Scientific Research and Doctoral studies.

Westhof accompagnied Hoffmann, together with President Beretz, to the Stockholm's award of the 2011 Nobel Prize a few Days earlier, as "EuroFora" learned, and he recently became also New Vice-President of the prestigious Top level Think-tank "Gutenberg circle" in Strasbourg, which brings together an Elite Group of Nobel Prize winners and Academicians working in Strasbourg's Alsace region, aiming to stimulate Stategic Projects and other landmark initiatives of excellence.

Westhof, as a brand new Academician, is also vice-President of the prestigious, Top Level Think Tank for Strasbourg's area Alsace, the "Gutenberg Circle", which brings together all Academicians, Nobel Prizes, and other Scientists/Researchers of Excellence, as his experienced, sympathetic and inventive Secretary General, Gerard Bellitto, reminded to "EuroFora".

Bellitto, while being naturally enthousiastic about Hoffmann's 2011 win and for the prospect to strenghen, from now on, the "Gutenberg circle" with 2 Nobels, instead of only 1, (Lehn), nevertheless, was as Careful as UniStra's President Beretz about "EuroFora"s questions on possible New Projects which could be stimulated in Strasbourgby Hoffman's success, while the "Great Loan" established by French President Sarkozy still has some 16 Billions € for "Investments for the Future", (in addition to the 15 first Billions € already invested throughout France): ..

 - "All this looks, indeed, interesting, and there will, certainly, be added some New Projects", Gutenberg Circle's Secretary General reacted to "EuroFora"s questioning after Hoffmann's new Nobel prize (See supra), "but we must also take into account the Fact that, already, the Projects officially presented by Strasbourg's University last year, including, mainly, those who succeeded to receive "Initiative of Excellence" labels, and to get  Long-term State Funding, etc., inevitably have started to "dhape" UniStra's activities' overall Structure and Strategy for the next few years, so that it would be rather difficult to eventually change all that in the middle of the road,  as he said, (almost agreeing with UniStra's President Beretz that the 1st Priority, these years, is to manage well the State Funds already received for the presented pluri-annual projects)-

However, even some among those projects seem to have enough "Plasticity" in the way in which they may be used, so that they might include also several interesting additions, in a coherent manner ;

- F.ex. the project to establish soon in Strasbourg a brand New "Institute of Advanced Studies", where UniStra plans to invite High Level Scientists from Europe and all over the World to stay and work on certain Projects, probably in cooperation also with nearby Freiburg's University (Germany), which reportedly has some rather similar plans, as Gerard Bellitto told "EuroFora".

+ Another concrete area where it doesn't seem excluded at all to see Hoffmann play a role, together with Lehn and other Top Scientists, might, eventually, be that of "BioEthics", an obviously crucial domain, particularly at this period of History when expected pressure by some business and technocratic lobbies to get hold of Human Embryos, extend Tests on Human persons, etc, augments, with any pretext, despite the astonishingly persisting lack or any Scientific or Technologic breakthrough by those who have already done so, wasting many Millions of dollars $ for several years, without any convincing result...  Indeed, "BioEthics" stand at an InterDisciplinary CrossRoads between Law and Politics, Philosophy and Morals, Religion and Sociology, Medicine and Chemistry or Genetics and Physics, Communication and Press Media, etc. the "Gutenberg Circle"'s Secretary General reiterated to "EuroFora". - "And it's often, precisely, there where 2 or 3 and more Differend Disciplines meet each other, that a Light might emerge", he wisely observed.

Something which interests also CNRS' Director of Research in Physics, Biology and Genomics, Dr. Jean-Pierre Thierry, of the Institute for Genetics and Molecular/Cellular Biology IGBMC, who is also in charge of Science - Society relations, and knows well Hoffmann, as "EuroFora" saw in practice.
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    A Film prepared on Hoffmann spoke about what it called "Fear" of "Science", opposing a mythical period during which "Science was something wonderful, before...", contrary to a "recent" period, when "many People in France and Germany, as well as Schwitzerland and other Countries, somewhat less in the UK and in USA (an inaccurate claim in this last case), express Fears and Mistrust", while "controversies" go on, as it said, (committing the mistake to confuse noble "Science" with petty "Technocracy")...

    F.ex. the very concept of "Evolution", pushes now to Controvercy, while "AIDS : a Catastrophe", was nevertheless "identified in France", and "the case of Contaminated Blood,  didn't accuse Science, but those who managed the Stocks of blood, i.e. the Economy and Politics", as Hoffmann observed.

    => In consequence, "Scientific Research and activities should be Monitored by some Independent bodies, preferably International", he advised.

    Moreover, we all should "take enough Time to get Informed, Think, and leave Ideology out", Hoffmann concluded.
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    Meanwhile, Hoffmann had already anounced his intention to consider investing his forthcoming activities into "certain projects", including also on the relation between "Science and Society", (a probably inditect reference to BioEthics : See supra), but without giving any concrete details...

    But, replying afterwards to questions by a German collegue, apparently about BioEthics and on-going Controversies about the Human Embryo, ("Ungebornen" in Deutsch, i.e., the Unborn Child), Hoffmann apparently advised what he called "DeSacralization" of the Human Embryo debate, (as far as our incomplete German languaga practice could judge), probably urging to skip the well known opposition of mainly the Christian Catholic Church, as well as of some Evangelical Christians, in Europe and at the USA, etc., against Genetic Manipulations of Human Embryo, (who join also various other People's concerns, f.ex. from the traditional "Green" movement, up to certain Free Thinkers, etc).
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    Hoffmann reminded, meanwhile, that, when he first arrived in Strasbourg from a German-speaking province of Luxembourg, 40 Years earlier, back on 1961, "I didn't know anyone here".. But "I was soon attracted by the Human and Cultural aspects of the city, where I was married to a Strasbourg lady", and "preferred to always stay here", rejecting various proposals to work elsewhere.

    While making a parallel between the "Millenary History of Saint-Odile", (a landmark Christian former Monastery, but also a largely known Massive Tourism sight-seeing scenery), "and Esternach Monastery", back in his native Luxembourg area that he abandoned young,  Hoffmann also stressed his meetings not only with the kind Guy Ourisson, but also with the business-active Genetician Pierre Champon, (who built a huge Private Labo for research on Mouses' Genes, etc).

    Concerning Local Politicians, Hoffmann revealed a rather closer link to "Socialists" as Bigot, also Mayor of Illkirsch, that he "thanked for having helped to set up a Company "AcoMed", and Ries, Mayor of Strassbourg, "whose political Majority has a Member working inside our Labo", as he unveiled, than to the ChristianDemocrats/EPP members of the Governing Majority Party in France : UMP, Kennel and Richert, Presidents of Low-Rhine's District and of Alsace Region , as well as Minister, respectively, (despite Region's key role on Funding Scientific/Technologic Innovation, from Business' projects up to Post-Doc. Research), that he said that he "didn't know personally", but only "through Press Articles" on their activities in the area.
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    + Speaking to Strasbourg Journalists, including "EuroFora", Hoffmann  expressed also the view "that a Doctoral Thesis is much more about learning how to work and think in a Scientific manner, than in order to find a job and a concrete place in Society for a student".     

He was apparently reacting to a frequently heard now Complaint by some Young Researchers concerning the multiplication of Short-term, small, superficial "PHD" papers, finished in a few years (2 or 3, rarely 4), opposed to the Long-term, big and profound "State Doctoral Thesis", which existed in the Past in France, in principle reserved just to the Best Researchers, who consecrated between 5 and 15 or even more Years of serious work (in the latter case in parallel with other related activities), before being notoriously undermined and later droped, leading to the recently generalized Mediocrity of "Inflation" by Small baby- or Nano-"Thesis", which copies only the Bad aspects of an Anglosaxon system, but not the good...
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+ Trend towards Older Nobel Prize Winners ?

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Concerning Age, Jules Hoffman, aged 71 at the moment of his 2011 Nobel Prize win (but looking 45-55 in physical shape, fast and sharp), is a perfect example of recent Global Statistics recently showing a progressive but rapidly growing Increase in the Age of Nobel winners, among whom, the number of those who received the Prize when aged 41-50 grew from 35% in 1921-1940, up to 52% in 2001-2008, while those who won at an age Older than 51 years have increased with an even Faster pace, from 5% in 1920 up to 22% in 2008, (i.e. an average multiplied by  X 440 %, and this trend should certainly have gone even Higher until 2011), according to data published today by the French Newspaper "Le Figaro"....

His Nobel Partners, Canadian and American professors Steinman and Beutler, with whom Hoffman shares  the 2011 Prize, were aged 68 and 54 years, respectively, i.e., also much older than the average of Nobel winners in the Past.

Jean-Marie Lehn, now aged 72, is today (2011) an excellent example of a particularly active Nobel prize winner (since 1987), fully engaged in his brand new Research centre recently built in Strasbourg University's main Campus, and as the main inspirator of many Hundreds of Millions € invested from 2011 by the French State in UniStra's projects of Excellence and other Initiatives for the Future in various multi-annual programs (funded President Sarkozy's idea to establish for such purposes a 36 Billions € strong "Great Loan"), in cooperation with the private sector, structured mainly around Chemistry's attractiveness and its potential to create links and interactions also with various other Disciplines, including f.ex. Medicine (Drugs, etc), Law-Philosophy-Sociology (f.ex. Bioethics, etc. Comp. Strasbourg University President Beretz's previous statements to "EuroFora" on 2009 and 2010 about pluri-disciplinarity, etc).
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    At any case, all stressed that Strasbourg's area was proud to have today 2 Nobel Prizes, after that of Jean-Marie Lehn, Chemistry Nobel winner as early as since 1987, now joined also by Jules Hoffmann, Physiology or Medicine Nobel winner on 2011, boosting the region's "Spirit of Excellence".

    But the obvious Question, without yet a crystal-clear answer,  is : - In order to do What ?
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- "It's the Duty of a Researcher to do anything possible in order to reach Knowledge", with "patience and tenacity", stressed the President of Strasbourg's University, Alain Beretz, who already had an opportunity to cooperate in the Past with Hoffmann "as Pharmacologist. - "Proud that you found in Strasbourg the Intellectual food for your brillant career", we know that you also found here your Wife, Daniele, as did also the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker", he reminded, noting also that Hoffmann's father was already a "Professor of Biology" interested in insects, while, after arriving to study in Strasbourg 40 years ago, he "became a Researcher and always remained one", here.

- "You searched to find out what rules govern Living beings" ("ce qui règle le vivant"), stressed from the outset, saluting Hoffmann on behalf of France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), its Director of Biology. - "Interested in the Immunity System's defense against Virus, you studied certain Insects which are Vectors of Virus, and, in particular, Flies transmitting Virus". But, "interested to Human Health, Why study Insects ?" Strasbourg's University was then "indifferent" to this apparent paradox, but "the CRNS was open", he reminded.

- Hoffmann's "concern for what (Scientific) Research can offer to the Economy", as well as in order to "protect our Health and bring ameliorations for Humankind", was noted by Jacques Bigot, President of Strasbourg's Urban Community.

- Both "Medical applications, certainly very useful", but also the "spirit of Excellence" in Science, was highlighted in the case of Hoffmann by Guy-Dominique Kennel, President of Lower Rhine's district, who invited the 2011 Nobel Prize winner to give his name to a new Building of the bi-lingual, French and German "Science Vehicle" Media Center,  dedicated to stimulate the "Scientific vocation among Young people".

- Strasbourg's Mayor, Senator Roland Ries, went on to stress Hoffman's full interest extending both to insects' "Immunity System's responses" and to their "Development".  This "opens pathways towards New Drugs and Vaccines", he added.

- Minister for Decentralisation and President of Strasbourg's Region Alsace, Jean-Philippe Richert, (a former Professor of College in Science-Geography, as Hoffmann's own Father), joined together the Nobel winner's aim to "better know some fundamental Scientific mecanisms", as well as his work's "possible Therapeutic applications", in order to plead for Alsace"'s "Competitiveness' poles, including "BioValley", Illkirsch, etc,, as well as for an alliance between "Fundamental Scientific Research's need for Liberty", and its "links to the Economic world", on which, "now exists a consensus", thanks also to the (State funded) "Investments for the Future".  
It's in Strasbourg's region Alsace that, among other brillant Scientists, Bloch (History), Schweitzer (Medicine), Lehn (Chemistry), and Hoffmann (Physiology), etc. developed their roots, pointing at a Future focused on Innovative Research, creative Ideas and "Promethean" spirit, Richert went on to dream...
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CNRS' publication :
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    A recent booklet making a presentation of Hoffmann's work, published by the French National Center for Scientific Research : CNRS, which has just awarded him its "Gold Medal", reminds that "when Jules Hoffmann started his research, (many Decades ago), his aim was Double : Understand why and how Insects defend themselves so efficiently against external aggressions, and use this knowledge in order to better fight against them".

    F.ex., at the beginning, Hoffmann's research focuses on "an Hormone involved in the Development of Crickets", and "invents an Inhibitor "acting against the synthesis of that hormone, so that it could "Stop the damages done to Farmers by Crickets" : A big Agricultural stake, which "brings much Money and Contracts to his Labo", even "from the former Soviet Union, which needed to be able to control the population of those Damaging Insects" ...

    But, "with the progress of Molecular (i.e. Genetic) Biology", and "the discovery .. of the first anti-microbian peptid in butterflies by a Swedish labo", (i.e. from the Country which gave him later the Nobel prize), Hoffmann made the "Strategic choice" to "focus 100% on the Immunity System" of insects, and, in particular, "of the FruitFly, because it was Easier to Mutate Genetically".

    Thus, he works afterwords on the "Identification of all Anti-Microbian Peptids produced by FruitFlies to Defend themselves". But, "In order to isolate each one of these substanes, we had to .. infect about 100.000 Flies !", Hoffmann reminded... While, "today, with our full knowledge that we have, of Fruitfly's Genes, 100 Flies would be enough"; he observed.. All this results into the Finding of "7 Families of Anti-Microbian Peptids", (2 of which are "similar to those found also in Butterflies).

    But, Hoffmann "took he FruitFly as a perfect Model in order to study Resistance to Infections" in general, stressed USA researcher Bruce Beutier, with whome he shares the 2011 Nobel prize, a Genetician who made research on the Immunity System of Mammals. Indeed, Hoffmann "advances accross Borderlines" at this point, "willing to rapproach Labos working on Immunity Systems in Mouses and in Humans", as he reminded himself.

    Therefore, "he establises the Foundations of a Cooperation between Insects and Mammals (from Mouses to Humans), and gets, since 1994, Funds hrough the "Human Frontiers in Science" International program (whose Secretariat is based in Strasbourg), and, later-on, directly from American "National Institutes of Health", (USA).

    At that same moment, the CNRS gave to Hoffmann the Direction of Strasbourg's Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IMCB or IBMC in the original in French), where he transfered his Team composed from some 40 researchers and technicians from the Institute of Zoology, in his new Labo named "Immunity responses and Development of Insects". There, Hoffmann adds also experts on Genetics, who serve to "search how are produced the Anti-Microbian Peptids", i.e. the substances earlier identified by his team as crucial for the Immunity System (See supra).

    Thus, on 1996 he discovers that a "Receptor Toll .. plays a crucial role in the innate Immunity of FruiFly, because it helps to Identify Aggressors  and to Trigger the Anti-Microbian Response".  While Hoffmann starts to study Analytically the Dozens of chemical interactions which serve to give that Signal, only 1 Year later, on 1997, American Researchers "find Similar Tolls-Receptors also in the Anti-Microbian Defense of Humans" !

    + Moreover, it was also found that "those Toll-like Receptors, in addition to Monitoring a "direct" Response of the Anti-Microbian Defense, (as in the Innate Immunity System of FruitFly), also work as an Alarm-clock which triggers even the Adaptive Immunity System of Mammals, (mainly by activating Lymphocytes)"

    => "The Repercussions of such a Discovery on  Human beings, are just starting too be examined today : They concern many domains, such as Inflamations,anti-infectious responses, Vaccinations, auto-immunity, ImmunoTherapy, etc". But "Jules Hoffmann now continues (in 71 years of age !) to work on FruitFly's AntiMicrobian Defenses, particularly on the role of ... Immune Deficiency (IMD), which has also an equivalent to Humans : the Tumor Necrose factor, (TNF)",  the CNRS document concludes.     

Curiously, this long CNRS document totally ommits the fact that Viruses are often used nowadays also as Vectors in order to penetrate Cells' Genome, if they bypass the Immunity System.

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    Hoffmann's partner in sharing together 50% of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Pysiology and Medicine, "American Genetist and Immunologist" Bruce Beutler, "best known for his pioneering ...Genetic studies of inflammation and innate Immunity, ... was the first to isolate mouse Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF)... Subsequently, he invented recombinant molecules expressly Designed to Neutralize TNF".

    + Moreover, "Beutler used TNF production ...to identify the LPS receptor", i.e. "the Mechanism by which LPS Activates mammalian Immune cells". He "thus discovered the ...Sensors of microbial Infection in Mammals, demonstrating that one of the mammalian Toll-like receptors, TLR4, acts as....component of the ....LPS receptor complex. The TLRs (of which 10 are now known to exist in Humans) are now widely known to function in the Perception of Microbes, each detecting signature molecules that herald infection"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
     "Beutler ....continued to apply a forward Genetic approach to the analysis of Immunity in Mammals. In this process, Germline Mutations that Alter Immune function are Created,.... detected by their phenotypic Effects, and then Isolated by positional cloning. His work disclosed numerous essential Signaling Molecules required for the innate Immune Response".

    "MutaGenesis was also used by Beutler ... to study ...Response to a defined infectious agent. By screening Mutant mice...., (he) identified a large number of Genes that make a Life-or-Death difference during infection,.... ...Some of these Genes were wholly unexpected, .. and Mutations that affect them cause sudden Death during infection".

    + Also,"Beutler ... identified Genes required for other important biological processes, including the regulation of ..... Embryonic Development, since their disruption ...created strikingly abnormal visible phenotypes", according to Wikipedia.
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    But the most extraordinary story related to Hoffmann's 2011 Nobel obviously is that of his other, major partner, who shared alone 50% of  the Prize, Canadian immunologist Ralph Steinman, "for his discovery of the Dendritic Cell and its role in Adaptive Immunity", i.e. mainly Human, as the Swedish institution anounced.

    Concerning the main role of these Cells named after the Greek word for "Tree" : "Dendro", for their branches, Steinman wrote that "a consensus view emerged ... in which Dendritis Cells ...could Capture antigens, Mature, and Move ....to the T-cell areas  to initiate Immunity". (See VIDEO).

    "Dendritic cells are present in tissues in contact with the External Environment, such as the Skin ....and the inner lining of the Nose, Lungs, or Stomach and Intestines".

    In an "Unprecedented" event in Nobel's History, Steinman surprisingly ...died from pancreas Cancer just a few Days before his landmark win of 50% of the 2011 Prize was officially anounced. So that he was Hindered both to personaly receive the Nobel, and, (more impotant), to Explain his Findings and present their Future Perspectives on Human Health, in the Stockholm lectures systematically given by all Nobel recipients.

    This exceptional Tragic Incident is so more Regrettable, that Steinman, (at the difference of Hoffmann and even Beutler) was not only the Youngest in Age among the 3 recipients of the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 2011, but also the most directly and intimately linked to the crucial and unquestionably Positive issue of the Protection of Human Health from Cancer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
    Indeed, Steinman not only worked directly on Human adaptative Immunity System, but also engaged Personaly (according to information given by his Rockfeller University) in an Urgent Fight against Cancer, stuggling dramatically to use his own Scientific Findings in order to Prolonge his Life during the last 4 Years !

    Thus, his Sudden Death just when the Nobel Prize committee was going to officially anounce that Steinman had been selected as the No 1 winner on Physiology and Medicine in 2011 for the adaptative Immune System of Humans, and his Discoveries on Dendritis Cells' positive role into Protecting Human Genes and Health even from intrusions which might provoke Cancer, (Comp. supra), Hindering him, a the last minute, to make a thorough and updated presentation of his latest Findings and their Future Perspectives in the Fight to protect Human Genes from External Aggressions provoking Cancer, (as Dendritis Cells obviously try to do  : See attached Video), certainly makes Steinman's latest, personal Notes, Manuscripts, Computer and Labo Data, a precious source of probably valuable and original, unedited yet Information about what the Scientist was really trying to do, what he had almost found, etc., before he was suddenly hindered to reveal it in Public by sudden Death....

    => Therefore, an Interesting (and even Morally Justified) Research into Steinman's latest Notes, Experiments, Findings, Scientific Hypothesis, etc. (which should naturally be Safeguarded, meanwhile), is certainly a must for anyone who might be sincerely motivated by a real struggle to protect the Human Genome from any External Aggressions which might provoke Cancer, etc.

    The contrary (i.e. a kind of strange "Silencing" of Steinman's eventual findings, even if incomplete or immature at present), woud be very curious, almost scandalous and, at any case, both Morally and from a purely intellectual and Scientific point of view, unacceptable.-