The announcement of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine was particularly thrilling for Diane DeZwaan ’05. The Nobel winners—Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak—are the three top people in the telomere/telomerase field, the scientific area in which DeZwaan is engaged in her fifth year in the lab of Brian Freeman at the Institute of Genomic Biology (University of Illinois). DeZwaan knows and has worked with both Blackburn and Greider, who, with Szostak, discovered in 1984 telomeres and telomerase.

Telomeres are strands of DNA attached to the ends of chromosomes that protect the chromosomes during cell division. As division recurs the length of these protective strands shortens; thus telomeres are intricately connected to cellular aging. Telomerase is the enzyme that makes telomere strands (and, Lachesis like, apportions their lengths). Inappropriate telomerase levels may be associated with diseases linked to premature cellular aging (low levels) or the cellular immortality characteristic of cancers (high levels).

Since the initial 1984 discovery, telomere/telomerase matters have emerged as more complex. Says DeZwaan: “Our lab takes a different perspective on the dynamics of the telomere maintenance pathway, which has led to debate with many leaders in the field (including Dr. Blackburn) about the actions of telomerase at the telomere. After my latest two publications, Dr. Blackburn has become interested in our lab’s point of view regarding the role of molecular chaperones in these actions,” adds DeZwaan, “and we have begun an active collaboration. I’ve worked with Dr. Greider quite recently as well. She served as the editor of my latest paper in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. It’s so neat and inspirational to be involved with two women scientists so highly regarded in their field of work!”