CANCER'S CAUSE, CANCER'S CURE by DPM Morton Walker Read Free Book Online Page B

Pasteur. Satisfaction for his ego was everything for Dr. Monod. Dr. Beljanski did nothing to feed that satisfaction.
    He replied to his new boss, “But you already have accepted the position, so why ask my opinion?”
    At first shocked by the answer to his question, Monod turned off all style and charm and went on his way without comment. However, he did not let it rest. The new director related the occurrence between him and Beljanski to his colleagues, and they let it be known that Monod hated Beljanski all the more for his undiplomatic response and would refuse him his scientific backing.
    Any observer would judge that these were two temperaments that only the love of science could bring together, but their conceptions of science had vastly different values. The boss wanted it to service him in his career; the worker wanted to dedicate his life to its service. From the first moments of their first meeting, any civil dialogue between them became practically impossible.
     
    Alleviating the Tension
    Since Monod thrived exceedingly well as a scientist-politicianpublicist with lots of connections to the political, commercial, and international community, greater amounts of budget money came along with his appointment as department head. He set about using the new money to transform and modernize the old laboratory facilities. Structural plans were drawn up for the department, contractors were hired, and the staff was then exposed to many months of building reconstruction. Each day they faced dust, debris, construction noise, and supply shortages. Worthwhile work became impossible for everyone.
    The scientists in the cellular biochemistry department left for other laboratories in Europe, Canada, Australia, or the U.S. Early in 1956, Beljanski was offered a two-year scholarship at New York University (NYU) to undertake research with Severo Ochoa, Ph.D. Because the personality conflict had not improved between Dr. Beljanski and Dr. Monod, acceptance of Dr. Ochoa’s invitation was encouraged by Director Monod. He preferred Mirko and Monique to be gone from the Pasteur Institute for as long as possible—perhaps permanently.
    The early to mid-1950s was a very exciting time for biologists and biochemists. The structure of DNA (which will be explained later) was discovered in 1953 and everyone, it seemed, turned their attention to this breakthrough. Many notions that today are routinely taught were as yet unknown at that time. The greatest challenge for biochemists and/or biologists in those years of the 1950s was mapping the genetic code. Such mapping keenly interested both Dr. Ochoa and Dr. Beljanski, and part of that process was uncovering the mechanisms that had to do with protein synthesis.
    Protein synthesis is an exceedingly important but very complex chemical process, for it creates protein, which is the main building block of cell structure. During that period, very little was understood about the functioning of protein synthesis, and many biochemists devoted much of their time researching the hidden mechanisms through which cells create proteins. Drs. Ochoa and Beljanski were no different. For two years Beljanski, with his wife always at his side, performed experiments to understand how amino acids are selected during the natural process of combining with each other to become peptides. Amino acids are the basic unit or building blocks of proteins and when linked together in chains form a polypeptide. When the amino acids from different parts of the chain interact with each other, the polypeptide chain takes on a unique shape forming a protein.
    It was an extremely difficult task to determine what factors governed specific combinations of amino acids and/or peptides during protein synthesis, but it was a job that Professor Ochoa asked his new associate to accept. Mirko did so with enthusiasm. Together they conducted experiments to incorporate radioactive amino acids into the systems of living organisms. Then they reported