| Citation | Distinguished for his work on the control of protein biosynthesis in animal cells, the effects of viral infection and the mechanism of action of interferon. He made major contributions to developing cell-free protein synthesising systems. He introduced the concept that interferon induces a potential anti-viral state which depends on viral infection for its full development. He delineated the role of double-stranded viral RNA and discovered "2-5A", [namely, ppp(A2'p)nA where n=2 to >=4], and thereby provided the primary impetus for much work on mechanisms of interferon action. The 2-5A system inhibits protein synthesis and viral growth, and may also play a crucial role in regulating the growth of normal cells. |