“I am the first botanist to receive one of the major Korean science awards. In a sense, botany can be deemed an unpopular area, and yet this honor shows us that perseverance and dedication can lead to success. I believe that this award means a great deal of encouragement not just to me, but also to any people who pursue basic science” said Hong Gil Nam, the director of the Center for Plant Aging Research at IBS, and a professor at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) during this interview about the meaning of his 24th Hoam Prize winning on 30th May. Selected as the top national scientist in 2010 and also as a director of the Center for Plant Aging Research at IBS in 2012, Director Nam has now been recognized as a world-leading scientist who has explored a new field of study with his research on plant aging and plant development and growth control. And the Hoam Prize gave momentum to him. “I have gained overseas recognition for the domestic research. I think this prize is the signal for next step of my work,” Nam said.

From the riverside memories to the field of systemic biology“How do plants know when to blossom and wither away?” Director Nam had many of these types of questions from his childhood. Living beside the Nakdong River in Gimhae County, Gyeongnam Province, he spent a lot of time with plants. He was amazed by the fact that plants thrived without any kind of human intervention. Living in the countryside, his playground was meadows, with trees and all kinds of flora. Walking down the lane across a rice field, he was unknowingly in tune with their existence. When asked about what made him research plants rather than animals, Dr. Nam remembered the early days of his postdoctoral studies. As an undergraduate in college he majored in chemistry and later studied the molecular genetics of yeast.

As his education progressed, he became torn between brain science and botany. He explained, “At that time, the field of botany was on significant change, there were many possible ways in which I could contribute.” He also said that “I just had an expectation what if I pursued research in botany, maybe someday my research might help the world by increasing the food production.” Winning the Hoam Prize is truly a high honor. It is the greatest academic acknowledgment that he has received since he began pursuing the study of botany.

The Hoam Prize review committee credited Dr. Nam with conjoining systemic experimental method with the study of plant aging. His research combined physiology, genetics and biology with fields such as mathematics and physics. This research trial was a new approach to the subject of plant physiology. Dr. Nam suggested that biology should be viewed through the frame which he called, ‘systemic biology.’ This frame has roughly two different aspects. The first aspect is technology. Into classical biology, various technologies, such as new imaging technology and mathematical modeling, have been introduced. The second one is a paradigm shift to the holistic view, insisting that one phenomenon itself is not a single phenomenon, but rather the interaction between multiple units.

What is aging?“There are many theories explaining the aging process. What I am saying might be only one of the traits of which the condition of aging is comprised. I believe that aging is one of life’s primary ‘programs.’ Aging is not a degeneration or regression but rather a conversion of function that aligns with the corresponding age.” Dr. Nam suggested that we should not perceive the term ‘aging’ negatively. “I realized this while studying,” he added, “I considered it thoroughly when I reviewed my 2009 research paper published in Science.” On 20th February of that year, led by Dr. Nam, reported that aging is regulated via complex circuit including multiple proteins and enzymes, not one molecule or gene. Dr. Nam’s research team investigated the molecular mechanisms of aging with Arabidopsis thaliana, commonly called mouse-ear cress. They identified three genes, ORESARA1 (ORE1), EIN2, and miR164 as aging agents. These three genes turned out to be the bio-circuit regulating age.

Dr. Nam explains, “Interestingly, this circuit blocks death in young age, and as the organism develops a very strong program is activated which begins the essential process of aging and ultimately death at the appropriate time.” Dr. Nam rooted his study on this understanding, when programs change or mutations occur the lifespan of the individual changes. The primary goal of the study was to find the mutation which altered lifespan and to examine the associated genes. During his research, he found a mutation where protein synthesis was decelerated. He explained, “With delayed protein syntheses, we thought the plant might face problems, yet the plant ended up with a prolonged lifespan.” He added, “We found a case that when a plant’s activity is diminished, the plant lives longer.”

Achieving a victory in scienceDr. Nam is famous, especially in Korea, for having research findings published in the three most prestigious journals of scientific community; Nature, Science, and Cell. In Science, he was featured twice, once in 2009 and once in 1999. On 3rd September 1999, while studying the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the research team led by Dr. Nam detailed the discovery of the gene GIGANTEA which regulates the biometric clock and light periodicity. This gene is known to be concerned with controlling the blossoming period of plants.

In 2005, the team discovered the gene which regulates at what levels of brightness different biologic functions occur. The findings were published in the journal Cell on 11th February of that same year. This achievement received attention for opening the possibility of growing high-quality crops, even in areas where sunlight is scarce. To complete his publishing trifecta, he published a paper in the 23rd October edition of Nature detailing the mechanism for making two sets of sperm in flowering plants which facilitates the ‘double fertilization’ process.

What is the key to success? Dr. Nam explained, “I always tried to follow the path not taken by others and put all my effort into new thoughts. I believe that my success is a result of this philosophy. Actually, the thing that I am most proud of is that I was able to contribute to society by creating a new field of study.” He added, “Korean science would develop further if the evaluation criteria was based on how much one accomplished rather than considering in which journal the findings ended up.”

Illuminating the plant with complex systemic biologyElected as the director of the Center for Plant Aging Research at IBS in October 2012, Dr. Nam expanded his studies on the systemic biology of plants. Previously, he questioned how plants get old. Now his investigations will include how plants recognize the time as it pertains to growth and aging, He states, “Until recently, research has been fragmented. Now, I will try to view the aging process as a whole. Aging should not be regarded as a specific step but as a preserving strategy of any species. Now, we are working on a project to detail plant programs (processes) from young age until death.

The research center is currently facilitating four study groups with the goal of, not only illuminating the aging process, but also discovering the complete blueprint for the genes explaining a plant’s growth and life cycle. Groups from different disciplines will be responsible for different areas of research. For example, professionals in the field of infra-technology will apply computational biology and complexomic data analysis, the environmental response group will study plant aging and lifespan, and comparative biology will look at plant aging and apoptosis. Additionally, there is a group who will study aging, reproduction and plant productivity. The Center is also planning to build a global facility where reliable analysis is possible. This analysis includes growth to gross phenotype, physiologic response, proteomics, and genomics. In addition to a more expansive methodology, the team is expanding the range of subject to Oryza sativa, commonly referred to as Asian rice. According to Dr. Nam, Oryza sativa has its own distinctive advantages. First, this species had grown for ages to tune the timing of harvest. This manipulation includes controlling environmental conditions to trigger mutations in DNA or RNA, and its corresponding proteins.

The second advantage is of social importance, if its genes regulated deliberately, the yields of rice would increase. Moreover, the direction of study at the Center has been changed. First of all, the center is planning to make much greater use of quantitative calculation in plant studies. The goal is to express the biologic study in a quantitative way rather than qualitative manner. A new study comparing plant and animal aging mechanisms would begin soon as well. In regard to animal subjects, groups will study species having appropriate genetic systems such as Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living nematode, or the common mouse.

In September 2012, Dr. Nam left POSTECH, where he devoted 20 years, and moved to Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST). Working as professor and chairman of the department of New Biology, he said that “The goal of this study is to contribute to resolving global problems via the plant aging project.” He also added that “the methodology to achieve this goal is to move on from the systemic biology paradigm to the concept of complex biology.” For example, by adapting the concept of ‘quantum biology,’ phenomena such as biosynthesis are explained through quantum mechanics. It is clear that Dr. Nam believes that research must be distinctive, different from previous approaches. “By these means, I have tried to catch up with the world and ultimately, lead a team at the forefront of scientific research.”

Dr. Nam emphasized that that dream will come true at the DGIST department of New Biology through a term he called, agora study and education. This is to say that the researcher should not improve alone, rather, the system as a whole should be upgraded. ‘agora study and education’ is a way of freely sharing technology and knowledge, rather than closing their doors to each other, a professional expresses their own questions and offers their knowledge and research finding to others at the agora. Students as well should be educated in this agora concept and this process will help them grow as well. “The main role of the IBS is in supporting scientists in their pursuit of questions. A sincere scientist should have the freedom to seek new questions, not focus on answering old ones.” Dr. Nam have insisted that science should get away from its own and share with society. He thinks that scientists need to contribute by engaging the community in a way that all can ‘breath together.’ “In modern society, it is true that most parts of science have a strong economic impact, yet science has more profound value than this.

It is said that science is one culture, promising us a better way of living through greater understanding, thus liberating us from purposeless worship and superstition. To this end, he established the Biotech Research and Information Center (BRIC) in 1996, giving access to his own skill, knowledge, and research findings. In this same spirit, in 2009, the online science journal IBC (Interdisciplinary Bio Center) was established allowing free public access. “My research group has named mutations for genes in Korean. For example, in the case of ORESARA, a Korean immediately understand it is related to long life. Similarly, when a gene is named BIT, it is understood that the gene deals with light in some way.” When Dr. Nam introduced the name ORESARA in the journal Science, he described it as meaning ‘long living.’When foreign researchers notice the name is originated from Korean language, they might become aware that Koreans have discovered the gene. It is a way of introducing Korean scientific accomplishments to the world. These well-known accomplishments could be the milestone for the ‘Korean wave’ in the field of science. As Dr. Nam declares, “I believe such a wave will surely come soon.”