Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
Born	Venkatraman Ramakrishnan 6 4, 1952
Birthplace	Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Nationality	American, British
Occupation	Structural biologist, molecular biologist
Employer	MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge
Known for	Mapping the structure and function of the ribosome
Education	PhD, Ohio University
Awards	Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2009), Knight Bachelor (2012), President of the Royal Society (2015–2020)

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, commonly known as Venki Ramakrishnan, is an Indian-born American-British structural biologist whose work on the ribosome — the molecular machine responsible for translating genetic information into proteins — earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009. Sharing the prize with Thomas A. Steitz and Ada Yonath, Ramakrishnan was recognized for producing detailed atomic-level maps of the ribosome's structure, work that not only illuminated one of the most fundamental processes in all living cells but also revealed how antibiotics such as tetracycline and streptomycin attack bacteria by targeting their ribosomes. Born in the temple town of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, India, Ramakrishnan's scientific journey carried him from the universities of India to graduate studies in the United States and ultimately to the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, one of the world's most distinguished research institutions. Beyond his laboratory work, he served as President of the Royal Society from 2015 to 2020 and has become an influential public voice on topics ranging from the anti-ageing industry to scientific funding and institutional quality. In more recent years, he has written and spoken extensively about the biology of ageing, drawing on decades of research to offer evidence-based perspectives on longevity and healthspan.

Early Life

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan was born on 6 April 1952 in the town of Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, India. His parents were both scientists — his father, C. V. Ramakrishnan, was a biochemist, and his mother, Rajalakshmi, was a psychologist who conducted research on child nutrition. Growing up in an academic household in India, Ramakrishnan was exposed to the world of science and intellectual inquiry from an early age.

Ramakrishnan spent his formative years in several Indian cities due to the academic postings of his parents. He has spoken publicly about the educational environment in India and, in later years, has offered candid assessments of the strengths and limitations of the Indian scientific establishment. In a 2025 interview, he noted that India has "only a handful of institutions such as IISc, NCBS, TIFR, IISERs and IITs that can possibly attract" top-tier international scientists, and that even those are "world class only" in limited respects, citing problems with funding, infrastructure, and the general research environment.

As a young man, Ramakrishnan pursued his undergraduate education in India before leaving for the United States to continue his studies, a trajectory that was common among scientifically ambitious Indian students during the 1970s. His early intellectual formation, rooted in Indian academic traditions but shaped by the ambition to pursue cutting-edge research, laid the groundwork for a career that would take him across continents and ultimately to the forefront of structural biology.

Education

Ramakrishnan completed his undergraduate degree in physics at Baroda University (now the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda) in Gujarat, India, in 1971. He then moved to the United States, where he earned a PhD in physics from Ohio University. His transition from physics to biology was a pivotal moment in his intellectual development; he subsequently pursued graduate studies in biology at the University of California, San Diego, retraining himself as a biologist after his physics doctorate.

This dual background in physics and biology proved essential to his later work. The techniques of X-ray crystallography that Ramakrishnan would use to map the ribosome's structure rely fundamentally on physics — specifically, on understanding how X-rays diffract when they encounter the ordered arrays of atoms in a crystal. His training allowed him to bring a physicist's rigor and quantitative approach to biological questions, a combination that would prove decisive in one of the most challenging problems in structural biology.

Career

Early Research and Postdoctoral Work

After completing his retraining in biology, Ramakrishnan held postdoctoral positions in the United States, gradually building expertise in the emerging field of structural biology. During the 1980s and 1990s, he worked at several American institutions, developing the technical skills and scientific vision that would eventually enable him to tackle the ribosome — a molecular complex of extraordinary size and complexity that had long been considered one of the most daunting targets in structural biology.

The ribosome is the cellular machine responsible for synthesizing proteins from messenger RNA templates. It is found in all living cells and is composed of both RNA and protein components, forming a structure far larger and more intricate than most of the molecules that had been studied by X-ray crystallography up to that point. Many scientists considered the determination of its atomic structure to be an almost impossibly ambitious goal. Ramakrishnan was among a small group of researchers worldwide who committed themselves to this challenge.

In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Ramakrishnan reflected on the nature of this kind of scientific ambition, stating: "It takes courage to tackle very hard problems in science." He expressed concern that science should not be "converted into a celebrity culture," emphasizing the importance of perseverance and the willingness to pursue difficult questions over long periods without guaranteed success.

Ribosome Structure at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Ramakrishnan joined the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge, England, where he led the group that determined the atomic structure of the 30S ribosomal subunit — the smaller of the two subunits that make up the bacterial ribosome. The 30S subunit plays a critical role in the process of translation, the step in gene expression where the information encoded in messenger RNA is decoded to build proteins. Using X-ray crystallography, Ramakrishnan and his colleagues produced detailed three-dimensional maps of this subunit at atomic resolution, revealing the positions of hundreds of thousands of atoms.

The significance of this achievement was manifold. First, it provided fundamental insights into how the ribosome reads the genetic code, ensuring that the correct amino acids are incorporated into growing protein chains — a process known as decoding. The structure showed how the ribosome distinguishes between correct and incorrect transfer RNA molecules, a question that had occupied molecular biologists for decades.

Second, and of considerable practical importance, Ramakrishnan's crystal structures of ribosomes bound to antibiotics such as tetracycline and streptomycin revealed the molecular mechanisms by which these drugs inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. Because the ribosome is essential for bacterial survival and because bacterial ribosomes differ in structure from human ribosomes, the ribosome is a major target for antibiotic drugs. Understanding exactly how antibiotics interact with the ribosome at the atomic level opened the door to the rational design of new and improved antibiotics — a matter of increasing urgency given the global rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry citation specifically noted the work's relevance to understanding antibiotic action. The Nobel committee described the prize as being awarded "for the detailed mapping of the ribosome — the cell's own protein factory," recognizing the contributions of Ramakrishnan, Thomas A. Steitz, and Ada Yonath in achieving this milestone.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2009)

On 7 October 2009, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that Ramakrishnan, along with Thomas A. Steitz of Yale University and Ada Yonath of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The three laureates were recognized for their independent but complementary contributions to determining the structure of the ribosome using X-ray crystallography.

In an interview recorded by the Nobel Foundation, Ramakrishnan spoke about his scientific journey and the collaborative nature of modern structural biology. He also addressed broader questions about the culture of science, the importance of basic research, and the risks of reducing scientific achievement to individual celebrity.

The award brought Ramakrishnan international recognition and established him as one of the most prominent scientists of Indian origin. However, he has consistently sought to place the focus on the science rather than on personal achievement, and he has spoken critically of the tendency to elevate Nobel laureates to positions of authority on subjects outside their areas of expertise.

Presidency of the Royal Society

In 2015, Ramakrishnan was elected President of the Royal Society, the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences and one of the oldest scientific institutions in the world, founded in 1660. He served in this role until 2020, overseeing the Society's activities in promoting science, advising government, and supporting scientific education and public engagement.

During his tenure, Ramakrishnan advocated for the importance of evidence-based policy-making and the value of international scientific collaboration. His presidency coincided with significant political events including the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, which raised concerns about the potential impact on scientific cooperation and the free movement of researchers.

Ageing Research and Public Engagement

In recent years, Ramakrishnan has turned his attention to the biology of ageing, writing and speaking extensively about what science can and cannot tell us about longevity and healthspan. His approach combines a rigorous assessment of the scientific evidence with a critical stance toward the claims of the anti-ageing industry.

In a 2025 interview with WIRED, Ramakrishnan stated: "We are not programmed to die," challenging the common assumption that ageing is an inevitable, genetically predetermined process. He discussed the complex biological mechanisms underlying ageing and the current state of research in the field, while cautioning against unproven anti-ageing interventions.

Speaking at the Vatican in March 2025, Ramakrishnan shared what he described as three tips for longevity, emphasizing that "often the 'secret' to living healthier" is simpler than many people expect. He warned that humanity is "at a crossroads" regarding how it addresses ageing and health.

In a public appearance in Pune, India, in 2025, Ramakrishnan summarized decades of ageing research by pointing to straightforward, evidence-based advice: "Adequate sleep," regular physical activity, and a balanced diet remain the most robustly supported strategies for healthy ageing, according to the available scientific literature.

Views on Science in India

Ramakrishnan has offered public commentary on the state of scientific research and institutions in India. In a 2025 interview with The Hindu, he addressed the challenges facing Indian science, arguing that issues of funding, infrastructure, and the general research environment make it difficult for India to attract senior international scientists. He identified institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) as among the few in India that could potentially attract top-tier researchers, but noted that even these face significant limitations.

His comments have generated discussion in India about the need for increased investment in scientific infrastructure and the importance of creating an environment conducive to world-class research. Ramakrishnan has argued that addressing these issues is essential if India is to fulfill its potential as a scientific power.

Personal Life

Ramakrishnan is known for his reluctance to cultivate public celebrity and has expressed discomfort with the culture of personal fame that often surrounds Nobel laureates. In his 2013 interview with The Guardian, he emphasized that he does not want science to be "converted into a celebrity culture," and has spoken about the importance of recognizing the collaborative and incremental nature of scientific progress rather than attributing breakthroughs to individual genius.

He resides in Cambridge, England, where he continues his work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. His public engagements in recent years have focused on ageing, the relationship between science and society, and the future of scientific research institutions globally.

Ramakrishnan maintains connections to India and has been a vocal commentator on the state of Indian science and education, though he has lived and worked primarily in the United Kingdom and the United States for most of his professional career.

Recognition

Ramakrishnan's most prominent honour is the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, which he shared with Thomas A. Steitz and Ada Yonath for their studies of the structure and function of the ribosome. The prize recognized the transformative impact of their work on molecular biology and its implications for understanding antibiotic action.

In 2012, Ramakrishnan was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, receiving the title of Knight Bachelor for his services to molecular biology. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and has received numerous other honors from scientific institutions around the world.

His election as President of the Royal Society in 2015 was a further mark of distinction, placing him in a lineage that includes Isaac Newton, Joseph Banks, and Ernest Rutherford. He served in this capacity until 2020, during a period of significant political and scientific change in the United Kingdom.

Ramakrishnan has also been recognized with the Padma Vibhushan, one of India's highest civilian honours, acknowledging his contributions to science and his status as one of the most accomplished scientists of Indian origin.

In addition to formal awards, Ramakrishnan's public lectures, writings, and media appearances have made him a recognizable figure in the communication of science to the broader public, particularly on the subjects of ribosome biology, antibiotic resistance, and the science of ageing.

Legacy

Ramakrishnan's work on the ribosome constitutes one of the landmark achievements of structural biology in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The atomic-resolution maps of the ribosome produced by Ramakrishnan and his contemporaries fundamentally changed the understanding of how proteins are made in living cells and opened new avenues for drug design, particularly in the development of antibiotics.

The practical implications of this work extend beyond basic science. By revealing precisely how antibiotics such as tetracycline and streptomycin bind to the bacterial ribosome, the structural data generated by Ramakrishnan's group provided a foundation for the rational design of new antibiotics — a field of growing importance as antibiotic resistance poses an increasing threat to global public health.

Beyond his laboratory contributions, Ramakrishnan's tenure as President of the Royal Society and his public commentary on topics including ageing, scientific funding, and the role of evidence in public policy have made him an influential figure in the broader scientific community. His willingness to speak candidly about the limitations of scientific institutions — including those in his country of birth — and his critical stance toward the commercialization of anti-ageing research reflect a commitment to intellectual honesty that has earned him respect across disciplines.

His career trajectory — from an undergraduate in physics at a regional Indian university to the summit of international science — has also served as an example of the possibilities of interdisciplinary training and international scientific mobility. His repeated emphasis on the collaborative and incremental nature of scientific progress, rather than the cult of individual genius, has contributed to ongoing discussions about how science is valued, funded, and communicated.