Living on the Edge

By Brittani Sonnenberg

"Curiosity drives me and sustains me as a scientist," said John Kim. It is this motivation that led him to study the function of small noncoding RNAs in worms. "We're working in a field of biology that until 1993 didn't really exist." It was then that Kim's postdoc adviser, Gary Ruvkun, and Victor Ambros discovered tiny RNA sequences, or microRNAs, in the worm, C. elegans. Since that discovery, Kim describes the field of microRNA biology as "exploding," adding that, "Thousands of microRNAs have since been discovered to function as ubiquitous controllers of gene expression in all animals and even plants."

"It's opened a curtain to a completely rich area of biology that we now realize is integrated in every way with how we develop and live... from how we create memories and suppress cancer to how our limbs are patterned and grow," Kim said. He is "deeply curious and obsessive about" studying the role of microRNAs and other small RNAs in C. elegans, and thereby better understanding their function in humans. "I have to know the answers," he said.

Kim claimed his love of science stems from his innate curiosity, his need for intellectual autonomy, and his passion for "discovering things no one else in human history—as corny as that sounds—has ever looked at." Yet Kim also said he cherishes the managerial challenges of running a lab, and his responsibilities as an adviser. "I am realizing that you have encourage and foster intellectual autonomy in students and postdocs," he said. "You want them to go here but you can't spell everything out... it's critical you give them the space to develop intellectually and to approach science with discipline and rigor." In addition, Kim said, science requires courage and creativity on top of intelligence. "Imagine investing months and years into an idea you have, not knowing whether it's going to work, but having the fortitude to devote all of your energy into the project and believing in yourself and your data enough to try to answer these questions," he said. "That takes courage." "I was lucky to have scientific role models who inspired me to embrace the uncertainty and the demands of research, especially my graduate advisor, Dan Klionsky, and postdoc advisor, Gary Ruvkun."

Collaborating with people is his "scientific style," Kim said, so the LSI was a great fit. "Collaborating is a very rewarding and fun way to be exposed to new ways of thinking about and addressing scientific questions," he said. Kim was also attracted to the LSI's novelty: "A new institute has a vibrant energy and a sense of mission because it's unproven and I love that," he said.

A fascination with unfamiliar territory has been a part of Kim for as long as he can remember. When his family moved to the United States from Korea when Kim was seven he was ecstatic about exploring his new environment, from tasting mayonnaise to flushing toilets. "Kids are so receptive to new experiences," Kim said, who now has a ten-month-old son, Lucas. "and that's a philosophy I try to take to the lab."