Heritage Fair Project

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Heritage Fair Project
Sidney Altman
By Dustyn
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His Fame

• Dr. Sidney Altman discovered catalytic RNA
  (Ribonucleic Acid).
• What is catalytic RNA? RNA are molecules that
  make up the genetic material that everything on
  earth is made of.
• They look very similar to DNA (Deoxyribonucleic
  Acid) but do a different job in the cell.
• Dr. Altman didnt discover the RNA molecule, but
  he discovered something that no one realized
  about them they can act as enzymes.

 
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Continue of his claim of fame

• Enzymes are molecules that are made of many
  proteins.
•  
• Certain enzymes can also be called catalysts
  when they help reactions inside the cells to
  happen (they are like an assistant in the
  reaction).
• Sidney Altmans discovery that RNA molecules are
  catalytic enzymes might mean that the Origin of
  Life theory might not be true.

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Childhood

• Sidney Altman is the second son of a poor
  immigrant family.
•   
• His mother, Ray Arlin, worked at a textile mill
  before her and Victor were married.
•  
• He was born May 8, 1939 in the west end of
  Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
•  
• At the age of 12, he was given a book called
  Explaining the Atom by Selig Heeclm that got
  him interested in nuclear physics, which is still
  one of his favorite subjects today.
•  
• After finishing high school in 1956, he left
  Montreal and moved to Massachusetts in the United
  States.
•  
• In 1984, he became a U.S. citizen, but still
  retained his Canadian citizenship.

 
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What Does RNA Do
Theory1 Origin of Life on Earth
RNA molecules
Other cell Reactions
Enzymes as Catalysts
Proteins (made of Amino Acids)
DNA
(Help reaction to happen)
(Made of proteins)

Dr. Altmans Discovery New Theory on Origin
of life
New proteins  
RNA as catalysts
(Help reaction to happen)
New RNA molecules
DNA
other cell Reactions
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Main Accomplishment

• His discovery of RNA as a catalyst

• He received a Nobel Prize for his discovery in
  1989.

• He has also been given many honorary degrees
  from
• - The University of Montreal
• - York University in Toronto
• - Connecticut University
• - McGill University
• - The University of Colorado
• - The University of British Columbia.

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Education

• 1956, Graduated from West Hill High School in
  Quebec.

• 1960, Bachelor of Science degree in physics from
  MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
• (MIT stands for Massachusetts Institute of
  Technology).

 1967, Received his Ph.D. in Biophysics from
the University of Colorado
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What I Learned About Him

• His discovery of catalytic RNA is one of the two
  most important discoveries in the last forty (40)
  years.
• His discovery has made scientists ask if the
  Origin of Life theory is really true.

• I also learned that he is still alive and very
  busy when I e-mailed him at Yale University.

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Other Interesting facts

• He was very lucky to work with Dr. Francis Crick
  
• Dr. Crick was one of the two men that made one of
  the most important discoveries in science they
  discovered the structure of DNA that also won
  them a Nobel Prize.

• In 1971, Dr. Altman went to Yale University and
  became an assistant professor of Biology.
• In 1980 he was promoted to a full professor of
  Biology.
• He is still there today and does research in
  biology and chemistry.
• In 1985, he also became the Dean of Yale College.

• In 1972, Sidney married Ann Korner at the age of
  33.
• They have a son named Daniel, and a daughter
  named Leah.

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Conclusion

• I chose Dr. Altman because I like science and his
  discovery of RNA as a catalyst is a very
  important discovery for science and how life on
  earth might have be begun. His contribution to
  Canada is that he is a Canadian, and made one of
  two most important discoveries in the history of
  science and life.

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Website Credits

• http//www.science.ca?scienctists/scientistprofil
  e.php?pID3

• http//www.frcu.eun.eg/www/scieland/mosharafa/Mos
  harfa.htm

• http//www.edu.pe.ca/sis/science79/altman.htm

• http//fr.encyclopedia.yahoo.com/articles/jb/jb
  2012 p0.html

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Bibliography
McMurray, Emily J. Notable Twentieth Century
Scientists, Volume 1, A-E. Gale Research Inc.,
An International Thompson Publishing Company,
Detroit, MI., 1995. (pp.2930).
The Canadian Encyclopedia, Year 2000 Edition,
Altman Sidney
No Author, Nobel Prize Winners, New York The H.W.
Wilson Company, 1992
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THE END
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