RNA Researcher Kim Bit-na-ri Receives Nakasone Award, a ‘Stepping Stone’ to Nobel Prize

Kim Bit-na-ri, a leading researcher in RNA biology and head of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) RNA Research Center, will receive the prestigious Nakasone Award from the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP). The award, presented for significant contributions to life sciences, is often seen as a precursor to the Nobel Prize, with four of its 21 past recipients going on to win the Nobel.

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discovered the aberrant RNA tailing pathway, establishing a new regulatory mechanism for gene expression and laying the molecular foundation for continuous mRNA therapeutics and vaccines.

Kim, also a distinguished professor at Seoul National University, earned the honor for her groundbreaking work in discovering the "aberrant RNA tailing pathway." This discovery established a novel mechanism for regulating gene expression and provided a crucial molecular foundation for developing stable mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. The HFSP highlighted her achievements as a "major turning point in RNA biology."

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brought a major turning point to RNA biology.

The Nakasone Award, established in 2010 to honor former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, who spearheaded the HFSP's creation, includes a medal, a certificate, and $15,000 in research funding. Kim is the first Korean and the first Asian recipient of this award. She will accept the prize and deliver a commemorative lecture at the HFSP's annual conference next year, marking a significant recognition of her pioneering research in the field of RNA.

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a collection of important discoveries that are changing the landscape of RNA biology and driving the development of RNA therapeutics.