In 1972, Betsy landed an assistant professor appointment in the University of California, Irvine, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Here Betsy began to examine repair of UV-induced DNA damage in human cells, with John as one of her collaborators.
Betsy’s solo 1974 Nature paper unequivocally established the existence of a photoreactivating enzyme in human leukocytes, which are a type of white blood cells. Prior to this paper, the data were contradictory.
Because photoreactivation mediates specifically the repair of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers, the enzyme can be used as a diagnostic tool: Any damage that the enzyme can repair must have been caused by UV-induced pyrimidine dimers. These dimers have been shown to cause death and mutation in simple unicellular organisms.
Given that UV light is known to produce skin cancer in humans, Betsy clearly thought that the dimers’ role in inducing cancers in humans has to be evaluated directly. But if humans lacked a photoreactivating enzyme, direct examination would require other means.
Betsy received tenure and was promoted to associate professor in 1975.
In 1972, Betsy landed an assistant professor appointment in the University of California, Irvine, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Here Betsy began to examine repair of UV-induced DNA damage in human cells, with John as one of her collaborators.
Betsy’s solo 1974 Nature paper unequivocally established the existence of a photoreactivating enzyme in human leukocytes, which are a type of white blood cells. Prior to this paper, the data were contradictory.
Because photoreactivation mediates specifically the repair of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers, the enzyme can be used as a diagnostic tool: Any damage that the enzyme can repair must have been caused by UV-induced pyrimidine dimers. These dimers have been shown to cause death and mutation in simple unicellular organisms.
Given that UV light is known to produce skin cancer in humans, Betsy clearly thought that the dimers’ role in inducing cancers in humans had to be evaluated directly. But if humans lacked a photoreactivating enzyme, direct examination would require other means.
Betsy received tenure and was promoted to associate professor in 1975.
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