Edin Muratspahić from Bosnia and Herzegovina achieved great success – he works in the laboratory of David Baker, this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. He spoke to Klix.ba about his life, his love for science and his rich career.
He grew up in Gračanica near Bugojno, where he finished elementary school. He stated that the outstanding teachers provided him with a solid foundation. When he was 15 years old, he decided to continue his education in Austria, where he enrolled in high school.
“An interest in science, especially biology and chemistry, developed during high school, thanks to my chemistry teacher Reinhard Furtner. His influence was decisive in my decision to study chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Vienna. Even though I didn’t know German, the professors gave me a lot of support. A nice anecdote, and at the same time motivation for everyone: I was the only one in the class who got an A in the German language exam. We Bosnians are known for our Bosnian stubbornness – when little is expected of us, we give the most. This shows that persistence and dedication can overcome all obstacles,” he told Klix.ba.
After completing his master’s studies, he decided to pursue a doctorate at the Institute of Pharmacology at the Medical University of Vienna, where he gained a deep understanding of the mechanisms of drug action in the human body.
“That experience prepared me for research work in the field of proteins, which resulted in my scientific engagement at the University of Washington, at the Institute for Protein Design in the laboratory of David Baker, where I apply my knowledge to contribute to the development of innovative protein therapies. My path so far has been filled with challenges and sacrifices, starting from the moment I left my birthplace as a child and ending with long hours spent in the laboratory, as well as working on weekends,” he continued.
He added that it was this dedication that allowed him to be what he is today – both as a man and as a scientist.
“With all that work, Edin Džeka’s goals often had to be monitored via cell phone in the laboratory, but thanks to the long hours spent there, I managed to learn many of Laka’s songs by heart,” he said.
This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker for the computational design of proteins. With him being Edin’s mentor, we asked Edin what the most important lesson he learned from him was.
“David Baker is a scientist ahead of his time, whose technology is currently revolutionizing the scientific world. It’s hard to single out just one lesson, because there are many, and it’s a privilege to learn from the best. One particularly striking lesson happened when I was trying to join his team,” he stated.
David Baker and Edin Muratspahić (Photo: Ian C. Haydon, UW Institute for Protein Design)
He developed an idea for a project and applied for a grant to work in his lab, but the scientists evaluating the projects did not believe he could implement the idea, resulting in the failure of his application.
“When I told David about it, he sent me an e-mail telling me not to give up and to try again, stressing that even in his idea 30 years ago, few people believed. I listened to him, applied again and finally got the scholarship. “David never gives up and regularly encourages us to think broadly and outside the established framework,” he said.
Edin has been working in David’s laboratory since last year. His work focuses on the computational design of proteins using artificial intelligence, and the designed proteins serve to modulate (eg, activate or block) G protein-coupled receptors.
“G protein-coupled receptors are among the most important biological targets in modern medicine. More than one third of all drugs act by modulating these receptors because of their key physiological functions. For example, by modulating them, we gain the ability to see, enjoy food and feel happiness when our athletes achieve high results. The resource of natural proteins that successfully modulate these receptors is very limited. By using computer design, we can create specific proteins, which do not exist in nature, and which are adapted to certain receptors, which increases the efficiency in the development of therapies. Soon I plan to publish my first scientific paper from David’s laboratory, which is based on these researches,” he explained.
Many people criticize artificial intelligence because of its potentially negative effects on society. However, this Nobel Prize is proof of her great importance to the science and structure of proteins.
“Artificial intelligence, like any new technology, has advantages and disadvantages, but in chemistry, biology and medicine, its advantages are enormous. For example, our genome has over 800 G protein-coupled receptors, and current protein or small molecule drugs target only about 100 of them. Many of these receptors have been overlooked because current methods have failed to find new proteins and small molecules to produce new ones. potential remedies. However, thanks to artificial intelligence, especially the methods developed in David’s laboratory and DeepMind (Demis Hassabis and John Jumper are also winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with David), we can now design new (protein) molecules for these receptors. This opens the door to the development of new drugs as well as drugs with fewer side effects for diseases such as diabetes, migraine, chronic pain, Parkinson’s, as well as rare diseases. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2024 is only the beginning of what is to come in this field,” he said.
Edin achieved his career outside the borders of his homeland. We asked him whether he believes that BiH knows how to repay individuals who achieve great success or, unfortunately, puts them on the back burner. He believes that the state generally does not care about them.
“There are individuals and institutions like Edhem Eddie Čustović, who is one of the founders of the Bosnia & Herzegovina Futures Foundation and the Bosnian Academic Society in Austria, who regularly promote and support young people from our country in their education and beyond. Unfortunately, such individuals and organizations are extremely rare. I think that we all need to collectively work on that, to connect, to know about each other and finally to support each other through various organizations and the establishment of them”, he said.
He also stated that there are many young people with Bosnian roots around the world who are achieving significant success. He mentioned a person who is close to him personally, his wife Emina Muratspahić.
“Emina is also a scientist who graduated in chemistry at the Faculty of Science in Sarajevo, received her doctorate at the University of Vienna and now works as a scientist at the University of Washington thanks to the prestigious American scholarship she received, which enables her to conduct research in the field of children’s diseases. Emina and I are just one example, and through various trips, as well as involvement in Bosnian societies, I have met many other very successful and talented young scientists of Bosnian roots. Hereby, I would like to praise Klix, which regularly publishes stories about successful young Bosnian men and women. These stories should be in the public domain so that BiH recognizes its treasures. All of us should be an inspiration to our children and young people and show them that the current difficulties in the country must not be an obstacle to their dreams and success, both in BiH and on the world stage”, he stated.
From this point of view, he believes that it is unrealistic for him to return to Bosnia and Herzegovina. He stated that his calling in life is to be a scientist and he wants to actively contribute to research of importance to society. For scientific research, the need for funding is crucial, and the process of applying and obtaining funds is exhausting.
“Nevertheless, I believe that in our country this problem is far more pronounced compared to countries that continuously invest in science, which is why our scientists in Bosnia and Herzegovina encounter extremely difficult obstacles during their work. The state and its leading structures should pay more attention to investing in science, retaining young talents and creating conditions for the return of those educated abroad. The question is whether there are concrete plans to support research at existing institutions, such as faculties and institutes, and for the construction of new scientific institutes that would allow our scientists to stay and those who were educated abroad to return. Also, does the state enable young people to receive training abroad and their return with the aim of applying the acquired knowledge? And, most importantly, are such topics even considered in professional circles and key discussions?”, he asked.
At the end of last year, he achieved great success by discovering a new potential painkiller with fewer side effects. In 2022, the Austrian Pharmacological Society recognized the importance of this research and awarded it a prestigious award for the best scientific work of young researchers. The Bosnian academic society in Austria also recognized his importance and chose Edin as the best young scientist of Bosnian roots in Austria for 2022.
“The example of this mentioned research indicates how plants and the nature that surrounds us can be a source of new medicines. During my PhD, one of the plants I studied was the sunflower. Sunflower seeds contain a peptide that, after isolation and chemical modification, in order to improve its pharmacological properties, shows potential for the treatment of chronic pain. Currently, work is being done to improve its biological stability so that it can be clinically tested in the near future. The advantage of peptides is that they cause milder side effects compared to drugs like morphine and fentanyl, which, although effective, can be addictive. Here we also look at the role of artificial intelligence. Natural resources of proteins, peptides and other molecules are limited, but we can observe biological processes and use them for the computer design of new molecules, which contributes to the development of innovative therapies,” said Edin in an interview with Klix.ba.
Source: klix.ba
