Richard Webby, Ph.D., of St. Jude Virology, was recognized as a leader in the Public Health and Epidemiology category for his work in reverse genetics--a technique for custom-making influenza vaccines in as little as 14 days. For more than 50 years, flu vaccine has been produced by growing the virus in fertilized chicken eggs, a process that takes at least six months. Reverse genetics may one day revolutionize the way flu vaccine is produced, reducing vaccine development time and ending the current reliance on the egg supply. The Scientific American 50 appears in the magazine's December issue, arriving on newsstands Nov. 23. The complete list may also be accessed on the magazine's Web site, www.sciam.com. Winners will be honored November 16 at a celebration taking place at the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City.
"Scientific American believes strongly that the best hope for a safer, healthier, more prosperous world rests in the enlightened use of technology," said Editor-in-Chief John Rennie."
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.