Science Friday

An Off-The-Grid Nobel Win, And Antibiotics In Ancient Microbes

October 11, 2025

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  • Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winners Fred Ramsdell, Shimon Sakaguchi, and Mary E. Brunkow were recognized for outlining the role of regulatory T cells in peripheral tolerance, which prevents the immune system from attacking the body's own tissues. 
  • Dr. Fred Ramsdell's Nobel announcement was delivered via his wife after he was unreachable while backpacking in a remote, snowy area of Montana. 
  • Dr. César de la Fuente utilized AI to screen genetic data from archaea, leading to the discovery of 80 novel antimicrobial compounds, termed 'archaeacines,' 93% of which were effective against dangerous, clinically relevant pathogens. 

Segments

Nobel Winner’s Off-Grid News
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(00:00:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Fred Ramsdell learned of his Nobel Prize win after being unreachable while backpacking.
  • Summary: Host Ira Flatow introduces the segment focusing on the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winners. Dr. Fred Ramsdell recounts how his wife informed him of the win via numerous text messages after he returned from a 25-day backpacking trip in the high country with no cell service. They celebrated with Prosecco bought from a small town’s only available bottle.
Immune System Tolerance Research
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(00:03:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Regulatory T cells, identified by the FOXP3 gene, maintain peripheral tolerance by preventing the immune system from attacking the body’s own tissues.
  • Summary: The research centers on the balance between fighting pathogens and avoiding autoimmune attacks like multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease. Dr. Ramsdell’s team studied mice with massive autoimmune disease, leading to the identification and cloning of the FOXP3 gene by Mary Bronco and colleagues. This gene is active in a small subset of T cells (1-10%) that maintain peripheral tolerance, a mechanism now being exploited in clinical trials for autoimmune diseases.
Clinical Trials Timeline
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(00:07:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Early clinical trial data for treatments using regulatory T cells for autoimmune diseases are expected within the next year to 18 months.
  • Summary: Clinical trials are underway for treating conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and graft rejection using these regulatory T cells. Dr. Ramsdell notes that this is the first iteration of a complex drug, and while they are optimistic, results are still early days. Further improvements to the drug’s longevity and performance will follow initial data.
Archaea as Antibiotic Source
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(00:08:39)
  • Key Takeaway: Archaea, the third domain of life, represent an unexplored source for novel antimicrobial molecules to combat antibiotic resistance.
  • Summary: Antibiotic-resistant infections cause millions of deaths globally, necessitating new solutions outside of traditional sources like fungi and bacteria. Archaea, organisms surviving extreme conditions, are hypothesized to have developed antimicrobial strategies to counter competitors over evolutionary time. Dr. César de la Fuente’s lab is mining biology digitally using AI to find these hidden functional molecules.
AI Discovery of Archaeacines
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(00:12:30)
  • Key Takeaway: AI analysis of 200 archaea genomes identified 12,000 potential molecules, leading to the synthesis and testing of 80 ‘archaeacines’ with a high success rate.
  • Summary: The AI system, Apex, rapidly screened proteomic data from archaea, identifying over 12,000 potential candidates. The lab synthesized 80 of these molecules, named archaeacines, for experimental validation. An impressive 93% of these synthesized molecules effectively killed dangerous pathogens like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus by targeting the bacterial membrane.
Path Forward and Patent Issues
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(00:15:41)
  • Key Takeaway: Developing archaea-derived antibiotics for human use requires extensive IND-enabling and clinical trials, and patentability hinges on whether the discovery is considered non-obvious.
  • Summary: The current findings show preclinical efficacy in mouse models, but human application requires years of Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling studies and clinical trials. A key legal question is whether these natural molecules can be patented; while natural products generally cannot, the use of novel AI tools to identify these ‘hidden’ molecules might qualify as a non-obvious discovery warranting intellectual property protection.