Women and telomeres. Last year's Nobel Prizes for Carol Greider and Elizabeth Blackburn should be encouraging for all female scientists with children

Abstract

Last year, two eminent female scientists and mothers shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology. Howard Wolinsky explores how their field of telomerase research was shaped and what hope this award to two working mothers offers for other female scientists.

Figure 1

The 2009 Nobel Laureates assembled for a photo during their visit to the Nobel Foundation on 12 December 2009. Back row, left to right: Nobel Laureates in Chemistry Ada E. Yonath and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine Jack W. Szostak and Carol W. Greider, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Thomas A. Steitz, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine Elizabeth H. Blackburn, and Nobel Laureate in Physics George E. Smith. Front row, left to right: Nobel Laureate in Physics Willard S. Boyle, Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences Elinor Ostrom, Nobel Laureate in Literature Herta Müller, and Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences Oliver E. Williamson. © The Nobel Foundation 2009. Photo: Orasis.

Figure 2

Mother, scientist and Nobel Prize-winner: Carol Greider is greeted by her lab and her children. © Johns Hopkins Medicine 2009. Photo: Keith Weller.

Figure 3

Elizabeth Blackburn greets colleagues and the media at a reception held in Genentech Hall at UCSF Mission Bay to celebrate her award of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. © University of California, San Francisco 2009. Photo: Susan Merrell.