The Story of Deciphering the Ribosome - With Venki Ramakrishnan

Delve into Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan's captivating journey of deciphering the ribosome's complex structure in this hour-long conversation with Vivianne Parry. Explore Ramakrishnan's path from his early experiments to becoming a central figure in a fierce scientific competition. Gain insights into the importance of ribosomal structure, its implications for understanding life itself, and potential applications in developing better antibiotics. Follow Ramakrishnan's career highlights, including his Nobel Prize in Chemistry, knighthood, and presidency of the Royal Society of London. Discover the challenges, breakthroughs, and personal anecdotes that shaped his remarkable scientific odyssey, from choosing biology to unraveling the mysteries of the ribosome.

Introduction
Early life
Working Hard
Getting Married
Choosing Biology
The Ribosome
The Black Box
Structure is Essential
Niche Interest
The Big Crunch
Oak Ridge
Crystallography
Nobel Prize
Digital Computers
Ribosome Structure
Why Venki Ramakrishnan
Curiosity driven research
Deciphering the small subunit
Some people choose the wrong thing
Back to America
Obsession
The Guillotine
The LMB
Argon Engineer Chicago
Dancing around the room
Competition in science
Nobel Prizes
Meeting Jim Watson