Erwin Neher

Bert Sakmann

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1991 was awarded jointly to Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann "for their discoveries concerning the function of single ion channels in cells"

Cure for baldness

Stem cells are the body's master cells. When manipulated in a laboratory they can be grown into any tissue in the human body from blood to bone and even whole organs.

But although stem cells are seen as the holy grail for medicine, progress has been slow and there are few widely available treatments.
Current treatments for baldness include hair plugs where stronger hair follicles from the side and back of the head are transplanted to bald spots.
However, the treatment takes five to 10 hours and would need to be performed repeatedly to create a natural appearance as hair loss continued.
Dr Lauster also believes that growing skin and hair follicles in the lab could eventually spell the end of animal testing.
He said: 'Since 1950 the number of new chemicals used in cosmetics has risen 500-fold, and so has the need for animals to be experimented upon to ensure they are safe for humans.

'This could well do away with the need for them to suffer,' he said.

The bioengineer plans to create a hair follicle test system that could be used for testing new drugs and cosmetics. He then hopes to develop a miniature liver, kidney and bone marrow ‘biochip’ in conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology.

Everyone knows what Post-it®  notes are: They are those great little self-stick notepapers.  Most people have Post-it®  Notes.   Most people use them.  Most people love them.  But Post-it®  Notes were not a planned product.
	No one got the idea and then stayed up nights to invent it.  A man named Spencer Silver was working in the 3M research laboratories in 1970 trying to find a strong adhesive.  Silver developed a new adhesive, but it was even weaker than what 3M already manufactured.  It stuck to objects, but could easily be lifted off.   It was super weak instead of super strong.
No one knew what to do with the stuff, but Silver didn't discard it.  Then one Sunday four years later, another 3M scientist named Arthur Fry was singing in the church's choir.  He used markers to keep his place in the hymnal, but they kept falling out of the book.  Remembering Silver's adhesive, Fry used some to coat his markers.  Success!  With the weak adhesive, the markers stayed in place, yet lifted off without damaging the pages.  3M began distributing Post-it ® Notes nationwide in 1980 -- ten years after Silver developed the super weak adhesive.  Today they are one of the most popular office products available.

Edmond H. Fischer

Edwin G. Krebs

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1992 was awarded jointly to Edmond H. Fischer and Edwin G. Krebs "for their discoveries concerning reversible protein phosphorylation as a biological regulatory mechanism"