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FELLOW OF THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AWARDED NOBEL PRIZE IN MEDICINE
8 October 1996

• Transcript of Prime Minister's reception for Professor Doherty
  (6 November 1996)
• The Australian Academy of Science interviews Australia's latest Nobel Laureate, Professor Peter Doherty
  (November 1996)

'Professor Peter Doherty has been awarded the Nobel prize for Medicine for his discovery on how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells. This recognition is based on work started twenty years ago, and demonstrates the importance of basic science at a time when so many look to short term tactical problem solving.' said Professor Sir Gustav Nossal, President of the Academy of Science.

Professor Doherty shares the 1996 Nobel prize with Professor Rolf Zinkernagel, for research they performed together at the John Curtin School of Medical Research in 1973-5.

Working together studying killer T-cells, one of the building blocks of the immune system, Doherty and Zinkernagal began to gather clues about what triggers an immune response. By looking at the immune responses to viruses in mice, the scientists discovered how the human immune system recognises modified cells and targets them for destruction. It was a scientific breakthrough. Their discovery led to a new understanding of organ rejection after transplants, a better comprehension of genetic susceptibility to disease and new approaches for vaccines.

(The significance of the Zinkernagel-Doherty discovery was that it gave biological meaning to histocompatibility (transplantation) antigens. It was clear that T lymphocytes recognised them, together with viral components, on the surface of virus-infected cells. In contrast, B lymphocytes and antibodies recognise viral proteins alone. This dichotomy of recognition by the two major categories of lymphocytes, T versus B, gave new urgency and impetus to the search for the T lymphocytes antigen-receptor, which took another 10 years.)

'Professor Doherty modestly attributes their discovery to "accident", but it is no accident that the work took place at the "block-funded" John Curtin School of Medical Research. Block funding of institutions provides the freedom to allow researchers to follow interesting leads which may be precluded by other granting procedures.'

'The Academy is delighted that an outstanding Australian scientist who has made such a major contribution has been acknowledged in this way. However, I am concerned that pressures to reduce public funding for basic research in favour of more applied work will reduce the opportunities for fundamental research such as that undertaken by Professor Doherty. Professors Doherty's and Zinkernagel's findings demonstrate that research projects need long term support, be it from government, industry, academia or a partnership of all three.'