Dr. Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco recently joined UTMB, as chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), after 24 years at Duke University where he was the Dr. Charles D. Watts Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Duke Center for RNA Biology and the Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore.
Dr. Garcia-Blanco has made seminal contributions to the study of RNA biology and virology and he has published over 120 research articles, reviews or book chapters.
Dr. Mariano Garcia-BlancoHe recently answered questions about his passion for the field and his goals for UTMB's BMB department.
Impact: What brought you to UTMB after 24 years at Duke? Why UTMB?
Garciano-Blanco: What brought me to UTMB were positive forces – indeed I think of it as coming to UTMB and not leaving Duke. I loved my 24 years there and can think of few places that could have been as propitious for me to launch my career.
I was attracted to UTMB for several reasons: A) scientifically it was a great fit since I have decided to focus my RNA-centric studies on important interactions between viral RNAs and host proteins. The strength in RNA viruses at UTMB was a strong magnet. B) UTMB was a good fit in terms of leadership, both the institutional leadership provided by Danny Jacobs, who I knew and respected, and also leadership challenge required by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB). C) Finally, personal reasons played a critical part – my wife Leah had to be completely on board and her love for the sea made this a very clear yes. In fact this was the right time for us to move as a family and Galveston has welcomed us with open arms.
Impact: Explain RNA studies and RNA viruses?
Garciano-Blanco: Most people think of genetic material as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and indeed that is true, but not all the truth - many of us believe that during evolution the original genetic material was RNA (ribonucleic acid) - in fact RNA is still the genetic material of many viruses, such as dengue and Ebola viruses. Furthermore RNAs, like proteins, can be enzymes (for example the machine involved in protein synthesis, the ribosome is almost without a doubt an RNA-based enzyme) and more recently RNAs have been shown to have many and important regulatory functions. The study of these processes and functions is generally known as RNA Biology.
Impact: Are there any processes or programs you implemented at Duke that you will be bringing to UTMB? If so, please explain.
Garciano-Blanco: Both UTMB and Duke have considerable strengths and I will tap both to strive to establish best practices for BMB and UTMB. There are several critical initiatives that I started at Duke that I will continue at UTMB. First and foremost, I will promote my view that doing science of outstanding quality and impact should be the core guiding principle of BMB. The conversation should really be about producing fundamental science and applying it for the good of our society. Second, I will advocate excellence in teaching of graduate and professional students— in my experience the very best scientists are many times superb teachers and mentors. Finally, I want BMB to be a positive force at UTMB and to participate in all aspects of the life and missions of the institution. Those are general principles. Specifically I plan to build a strong group of RNA biologists and virologists at UTMB. The field of RNA biology, which is currently underrepresented here, has led to some of the most important findings in our generation and has enormous relevance to biomedicine.
Impact: What drew you to the biochemistry and molecular biology field?
Garciano-Blanco: I was drawn to this field early on - I majored in Biochemical Sciences at Harvard College and completed my PhD thesis in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University. Early on I developed an interest in figuring out how biological processes worked – the mechanistic underpinnings of life processes. I have to give credit also to mentors at every stage of my career – from my 8th grade biology teacher to Nobel Prize winning mentors later in life.
Impact: For the lay audience, please explain how biochemistry and molecular biology are applied in patient care?
Garciano-Blanco: Biochemistry and molecular biology are applied to many aspects of our society – patient care being most relevant to the mission of UTMB. I believe a terrific example is the development, within the last decade, of chemical compounds that can cure the majority of patients infected with Hepatitis C virus. These drugs provide a very important lesson regarding the importance of strong basic research and its wise application.
Impact: Name some of the exciting new developments from the biochemistry and molecular biology field that will improve health care?
Garciano-Blanco: I believe it is very difficult to predict what developments in any field will improve health care and I am an advocate of the philosophy put forth by the late Efraim Racker that the most relevant research is the most rigorous research. I will mention one development in the area of RNA molecular biology that has great potential to move science forward, and thus may impact health care. The discovery of the CRISPR-Cas system, an adaptive immune system in bacteria. Its application to genome editing hold great promise in terms of basic understanding of disease and in the development of genetic therapies.
Impact: UTMB’s mission is to improve health for the people of Texas and around the world. How do you see yourself playing a part in that mission?
Garciano-Blanco: I like to think of the mission in more granular terms. To accomplish the aforementioned mission in the most relevant way we at UTMB have to accomplish three things: increase the knowledge about health and disease, teach this knowledge to our health care professionals in training, and apply this knowledge to the patients we care for. I see my mission (and that of BMB) primarily in the first arena – to generate new knowledge- and secondarily (but importantly) – the teaching of this new knowledge.
Impact: What is your mission or goal for the department?
Garciano-Blanco: My mission is to make BMB a leading department in the country and the world. I want to make it clear that I will not judge the success of this mission by conventional and flawed standards, based primarily on funding levels. I want to direct the conversation towards a valuation based on the impact of the scholarship – funding and recognition will come as a consequence. First and foremost I want to see great discoveries coming from BMB, this will then lead to important applications that will require collaborations with many others in the institution.