Svante Pääbo
Encyclopedia
Svante Pääbo is a Swedish biologist
specializing in evolutionary genetics
. He was born in 1955 in Stockholm to Sune Bergström
, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Bengt I. Samuelsson
and John R. Vane in 1982, and his mother, Estonian Karin Pääbo.
He earned his PhD
from Uppsala University
in 1986. Since 1997, he has been director of the Department of Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
in Leipzig, Germany.
", FOXP2
, which is lacking or damaged in some individuals with language disabilities.
Pääbo is known as one of the founders of paleogenetics
, a discipline that uses the methods of genetics to study early humans and other ancient populations. In 2006, he announced a plan to reconstruct the entire genome of Neanderthal
s. In 2007, Pääbo was named one of TIME
Magazine's 100 most influential people of the year.
In February 2009, at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS), it was announced that the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
had completed the first draft version of the Neanderthal genome. Over 3 billion base pairs were sequenced in collaboration with the 454 Life Sciences
Corporation. This project, led by Pääbo, will shed new light on the recent evolutionary history of modern humans.
In March 2010, Pääbo and his coworkers published a report about the DNA analysis of a finger bone found in the Denisova Cave
in Siberia; the results suggest that the bone belonged to an extinct member of the genus Homo
that had not yet been recognized, the Denisova hominin
.
In May 2010, Pääbo and his colleagues published a draft sequence of the Neanderthal
genome in the journal Science
. He and his team also concluded that there was probably interbreeding between Neanderthals and Eurasian (but not African) humans. Some archaeologists remain skeptical about this conclusion.
of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
, which is the highest honour awarded in German research. Pääbo was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
in 2000. In October 2009 the Foundation For the Future announced that Pääbo had been awarded the 2009 Kistler Prize
for his work isolating and sequencing ancient DNA, beginning in 1984 with a 2,400-year-old mummy. In June 2010 the Federation of European Biochemical Societies
awarded him the Theodor Bücher Medal for outstanding achievements in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Biologist
A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
specializing in evolutionary genetics
Evolutionary genetics
Evolutionary genetics is the broad field of studies that attempts to account for evolution in terms of changes in gene and genotype frequencies within populations and the processes that convert the variation with populations into more or less permanent variation between species...
. He was born in 1955 in Stockholm to Sune Bergström
Sune Bergström
Karl Sune Detlof Bergström was a Swedish biochemist.In 1975, he was appointed to the Nobel Foundation Board of Directors in Sweden....
, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Bengt I. Samuelsson
Bengt I. Samuelsson
-External links:**...
and John R. Vane in 1982, and his mother, Estonian Karin Pääbo.
He earned his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
in 1986. Since 1997, he has been director of the Department of Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology is a research institute based in Leipzig, Germany, founded in 1997. It is part of the Max Planck Society network....
in Leipzig, Germany.
Work
Pääbo's department in August 2002 published findings about the "language geneLanguage gene
Language gene may refer to:*FOXP2, a protein found in mammals*PCDHY, a gene unique to human males...
", FOXP2
FOXP2
Forkhead box protein P2 also known as FOXP2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the FOXP2 gene, located on human chromosome 7 . FOXP2 orthologs have also been identified in all mammals for which complete genome data are available...
, which is lacking or damaged in some individuals with language disabilities.
Pääbo is known as one of the founders of paleogenetics
Paleogenetics
Paleogenetics is the application of genetics to paleontology. It has been applied to the study of parasite evolution. Emile Zuckerkandl and American 20th century physical chemist Linus Carl Pauling introduced the term paleogenetics in 1963. Further, biologist Svante Pääbo is seen as its "founding...
, a discipline that uses the methods of genetics to study early humans and other ancient populations. In 2006, he announced a plan to reconstruct the entire genome of Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s. In 2007, Pääbo was named one of TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
Magazine's 100 most influential people of the year.
In February 2009, at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
(AAAS), it was announced that the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology is a research institute based in Leipzig, Germany, founded in 1997. It is part of the Max Planck Society network....
had completed the first draft version of the Neanderthal genome. Over 3 billion base pairs were sequenced in collaboration with the 454 Life Sciences
454 Life Sciences
454 Life Sciences, is a biotechnology company based in Branford, Connecticut. It is a subsidiary of Roche, and specializes in high-throughput DNA sequencing.-History and Major Achievements:...
Corporation. This project, led by Pääbo, will shed new light on the recent evolutionary history of modern humans.
In March 2010, Pääbo and his coworkers published a report about the DNA analysis of a finger bone found in the Denisova Cave
Denisova Cave
Denisova Cave is a cave in the Bashelaksky Range of the Altai mountains, Siberia, Russia. The cave is of paleoarchaeological and paleontological interest. Bone fragments of the Denisova hominin, sometime called the "X-woman" originate from the cave, including artifacts dated to ~40,000 Before...
in Siberia; the results suggest that the bone belonged to an extinct member of the genus Homo
Homo
Homo may refer to:*the Greek prefix ὅμο-, meaning "the same"*the Latin for man, human being*Homo, the taxonomical genus including modern humans...
that had not yet been recognized, the Denisova hominin
Denisova hominin
Denisova hominins , or Denisovans, are Paleolithic-Era members of the genus Homo that may belong to a previously unknown species. In , scientists announced the discovery of a finger bone fragment of a juvenile female that lived about 41,000 years ago, found in Denisova Cave in Altai Krai, Russia, a...
.
In May 2010, Pääbo and his colleagues published a draft sequence of the Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
genome in the journal Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
. He and his team also concluded that there was probably interbreeding between Neanderthals and Eurasian (but not African) humans. Some archaeologists remain skeptical about this conclusion.
Awards and recognitions
In 1992, he received the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz PrizeGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is a research prize awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft every year since 1985 to scientists working in Germany. This highest German research prize consists of a research grant of 2.5 million euro, to be used within seven years...
of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is an important German research funding organization and the largest such organization in Europe.-Function:...
, which is the highest honour awarded in German research. Pääbo was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
in 2000. In October 2009 the Foundation For the Future announced that Pääbo had been awarded the 2009 Kistler Prize
Kistler Prize
The Kistler Prize is awarded annually to recognize original contributions "to the understanding of the connection between human heredity and human society," and includes a cash award of US $100,000 and a 200-gram gold medallion....
for his work isolating and sequencing ancient DNA, beginning in 1984 with a 2,400-year-old mummy. In June 2010 the Federation of European Biochemical Societies
Federation of European Biochemical Societies
The Federation of the European Biochemical Societies, frequently abbreviated FEBS is an international scientific society promoting activities in biochemistry, molecular biology and molecular biophysics in Europe...
awarded him the Theodor Bücher Medal for outstanding achievements in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.