Scientists can play role in West Asia peace: Nobel laureate

Mumbai, Feb 4 (PTI) Scientists can play a big role inbringing peace in the trouble-torn West Asia and an upcomingresearch project could help in that process, Israeli chemistryNobel laureate Professor Ada E Yonath said today.

"Peace will come to the region and we have to do ourbest," Yonath, who is on a three-day visit to the city, toldreporters.

An upcoming project Synchrotron - Light forExperimental Science and Applications in the Middle East(SESAME) - provides an opportunity to the scientists tocontributes towards peace in the region, she said.

SESAME'', a centre of excellence for training andresearch for scientists in Middle East in biology, medical,material and environmental sciences, is coming up in Jordan.

It is being built under the aegis of UNESCO withcooperation and governmental collaboration from Palestine,Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and Cyprus.

The centre can be a real agent of peace, she said,adding scientists must talk to each other.

Asked if scientists are dictated by the politicians,Yonath said, "it is not necessary to listen to them, I do notlisten to any politician, I do my research."

Despite shortage of fund due to economic crisis andprotests in Egypt and Jordan, the scientists are optimisticabout the project being completed soon, she said.

The 71-year-old is best known for her pioneering workon the structure of ribosome. She received the Nobel Prize inChemistry in 2009 along with Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, who isof Indian origin, and Thomas Steitzfor for their studies onthe structure and function of the ribosome. .