The Women Who Discovered RNA Splicing
By Pnina Geraldine Abir-Am
Most scientists who played key roles in this Nobel Prize–winning breakthrough disappeared from public memory. Why does this injustice persist 40 years later?
This Article From Issue
September-October 2020
Volume 108, Number 5
Page 298
In 1997, the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York celebrated the 20th anniversary of the discovery of RNA splicing. The first coauthor of the CSHL paper announcing the discovery, Louise Chow, was not invited to the celebration, even though first authorship usually implies a central role in the work.
QUICK TAKE
- Most of the scientists who played key roles in the discovery of RNA splicing, including six women, disappeared from public memory and were overlooked for the 1993 Nobel Prize.
- Three women were first authors on papers announcing the discovery, two of whom were scientists with their own research grants. They illustrate how women are overlooked.
- Recognition for women, junior, or immigrant scientists cannot be achieved without thorough vetting. The Nobel committee was remiss in according all the credit to two men.
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