“Science cannot be quantified by number of papers published.” Sharing his thoughts, Nobel laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan addressed the audience at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore on Tuesday 5 January 2010. On his ongoing research, Dr Ramakrishnan said he looked forward to understanding the more complex eukaryotic ribosome, and the entire ribosome pathway. Using simple graphics to explain what his lab had achieved, he traced the trajectory that led to understanding ribosome structures—comprising two subunits made of complexes of RNA and protein. He then explained how this was critical to understanding the functioning and designing of better antibiotics. Dr Ramakrishnan was requested to spell out his message for young India. “I have nothing. People think you solve ribosome structures … and [think] you’re a prophet. I only know about ribosomes,” he said cheerfully. “I am often asked by young Indians: ‘How can I get a Nobel?’. Now that’s a sure way to fail. You go into science to solve a problem, not to find ingredients of success.”
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