UH cloning
expert will join
prestigious group
Professor Ryuzo Yanagimachi
elected to National Academy
of Sciences
By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin
Ryuzo Yanagimachi, who drew international attention to Hawaii with generations of cloned mice and other genetic firsts, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences.
The University of Hawaii professor of anatomy and reproductive biology was informed of the honor yesterday by associate professor Steve Ward, a "Team Yana" researcher.
Yanagimachi, in Israel attending an international science meeting, said in a telephone interview that friends had mentioned the possibility of the academy election to him.
But the humble scientist added, "More people are more deserving than me."
Yanagimachi is only the fourth UH-Manoa scientist elected to the 138-year-old national academy.
The lifetime membership, recognizing "distinguished and continuing achievements in original research," is one of the highest honors that can be given to a scientist or engineer in the United States.
"It's an incredible honor," Ward said. "I know a few Nobel Prize winners who never got this honor ... Everybody's very, very excited."
Yanagimachi directs the Institute for Biogenesis Research, built to house his research group in the John A. Burns School of Medicine.
He never mentioned to anyone at the institute that he was being nominated for academy membership, Ward said.
"I heard of it, but I was not sure," Yanagimachi said. "I don't know anything about this (academy) system."
What the scientist does know is anatomy and reproductive biology, a field in which he and his colleagues are doing groundbreaking research.
"Team Yana" cloned five generations of female mice with what they called the "Honolulu Technique," three years ago. They also were the first to clone a male mouse.
Working with mainland colleagues, the group used their technique last year to answer basic genetic questions, describing, for example, how the mother's chromosomes and father's chromosomes work together to form a child.
Yanagimachi also is noted for advances in in-vitro fertilization and freeze-dried sperm technology. His group is working now to improve the efficiency of cloning and studying genetic safety.
"I am very proud that I did almost all of my work at the University of Hawaii," Yanagimachi said yesterday. "I came here (to Hawaii ) 35 years ago and did all my work at UH. Without the understanding and help from our medical school and my former and current associates, I couldn't do much.
"I only hope I can be somewhat more useful to the UH and Hawaii in leading my life. I thank everyone. As long as I can, I must keep learning from my people," he added. "I'm surrounded by young people, so I can forget my age and keep working."
Other UH members elected to the academy are George H. Herbig, astronomer in the Hawaii Institute for Astronomy; Douglas L. Oliver, professor emeritus of anthropology; and Hampton L. Carson, professor emeritus of genetics and molecular biology.
Carson said Yanagimachi is "a very deserving, hard-working bench scientist -- he does the stuff himself." Rather than doing administration, Carson said, "I would like to see him stay doing experiments. He really has great skills."
Carson said it's extremely difficult to be elected to the national academy, a "very arcane and difficult organization. The election system is absolutely weird."
The academy is divided into different sections, and there is tremendous competition and turf battles within sections to get younger people and special people into the organization, he said.
"There is a terrible system of little committees for different sections. They sort out nominees and there is a long procedure of straw votes."
To be elected is "a big thing," Carson said, adding that he's very pleased about Yanagimachi. "It's a very exciting moment."
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by a congressional act, signed by Abraham Lincoln, to act as official science and technology adviser to the federal government. The private organization is "dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for general welfare."
The academy yesterday elected 72 members and 15 foreign associates from 10 countries. It has a total of 2,285 members, including 1,874 active, 86 emeritus and 324 in foreign countries.
