Rolf Martin Zinkernagel (born 6 January 1944) is Professor of Experimental

Immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see the ...

at the

University of Zurich The University of Zürich (UZH, german: Universität Zürich) is a public research university located in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 f ...

. He was awarded the

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...

in 1996 for the discovery of how the

immune system The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splint ...

recognizes virus-infected cells.

Education

Zinkernagel received his MD degree from the

University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...

in 1970 and his PhD from the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

in 1975.

Career and research

Zinkernagel is a member of the Cancer Research Institute Scientific Advisory Council, the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

, The National Academy of Sciences, the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

, and The Academy of Cancer Immunology. Zinkernagel was elected as a Corresponding Fellow to the

Australian Academy of Science The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The academy is modelled after the Royal Soc ...

also in 1996.

Awards and honours

Together with the Australian Peter C. Doherty he received the 1996

for the discovery of how the

recognizes virus-infected cells. With this he became the 24th Swiss Nobel laureate. In 1999 he was awarded an honorary Companion of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...

(AC), Australia's highest civilian honour, for his scientific work with Doherty. Viruses infect host cells and reproduce inside them. Killer T-cells destroy those infected cells so that the viruses can't reproduce. Zinkernagel and Doherty discovered that, in order for killer T-cells to recognize infected cells, they had to recognize two molecules on the surface of the cell—not only the virus antigen, but also a molecule of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This recognition was done by a T-cell receptor on the surface of the T-cell. The MHC was previously identified as being responsible for the rejection of incompatible tissues during transplantation. Zinkernagel and Doherty discovered that the MHC was responsible for the body fighting meningitis viruses too. including the Nobel Lecture December 1996 ''Cellular Immune Recognition and the Biological Role of Major Transplantation Antigens'' In addition to the Nobel Prize, he also won the

Cloëtta Prize The Cloëtta Prize (german: Cloëtta-Preis; french: Prix Cloëtta) is a Swiss distinction to honour personalities who have distinguished themselves in biomedical research. Worth 50,000 Swiss francs, it has been awarded annually by the Max Clo� ...

in 1981, the Cancer Research Institute William B. Coley Award in 1987, the

Otto-Naegeli-Preis The Otto-Naegeli-Preis is a Swiss award for medical research that is awarded every two years. It is one of the most prestigious Swiss medical awards and is given with an award sum of 200,000 Swiss Francs. It was established in 1960 and is named a ...

in 1988 and the

Albert Lasker Medical Research Award The Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research is one of the prizes awarded by the Lasker Foundation for a fundamental discovery that opens up a new area of biomedical science. The award frequently precedes a Nobel Prize in Medicine; almost ...

in 1995. In 1994 he became a member of the

German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (german: Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften), short Leopoldina, is the national academy of Germany, and is located in Halle (Saale). Founde ...

. Zinkernagel was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMeRS) in 1998.

References

External links

* including the Nobel Lecture December 1996 ''Cellular Immune Recognition and the Biological Role of Major Transplantation Antigens'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Zinkernagel, Rolf Martin 1944 births Living people Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine Swiss Nobel laureates Scientists from Basel-Stadt Members of the European Molecular Biology Organization Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Foreign Members of the Royal Society Foreign Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences Swiss immunologists Australian National University alumni University of Zurich faculty Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Honorary Companions of the Order of Australia People from Riehen Recipients of the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science Members of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Members of the American Philosophical Society