一步之遥，八年光阴：丙肝病原体的发现到证明之路
Not-So-Low-Hanging Fruit: Journey from Identifying HCV to Proving It Pathogen of Hepatitis C
Not-So-Low-Hanging Fruit: Journey from Identifying HCV to Proving It Pathogen of Hepatitis C
作者
范筱斐 周程
中文关键词
丙肝病毒，cDNA 克隆，科赫原则，科学研究，诺贝尔奖，自然科学史
英文关键词
hepatitis C virus (HCV), cDNA clone, Koch’s postulates, scientific research, the Nobel Prize, history of natural science
中文摘要
2020年的诺贝尔生理学或医学奖授予了在发现丙肝病毒（HCV）方面作出突出贡献的哈维·阿尔特（Harvey J. Alter）、迈克尔·霍顿（Michael Houghton）和查尔斯·赖斯（Charles M. Rice）。然而，从1989年霍顿捕获HCV到1997年赖斯证明HCV能引发肝炎，间隔了8年时间。这看似一步之遥的距离何以耗时如此之久？文章通过回顾文献，对这一时期的研究脉络进行了梳理，明确了包括赖斯团队在内的不同研究者对于推进HCV相关认识所作的具体贡献。同时，针对研究过程中的两个关键节点——病毒RNA基因组3′末端的准确测序和感染性分子克隆的建立，文章从技术储备、路径依赖和目标定位的角度分析了赖斯团队为何能在科学研究竞争中拔得头筹。
英文摘要
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020 was awarded jointly to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles M. Rice for their contributions in the discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, eight years lapsed between Houghton hunting down the virus in 1989 and Rice proving HCV alone could cause hepatitis in 1997. How did this seemingly low-hanging fruit turn out to take so long? We reviewed literature to piece together studies during those years, and determined contributions by different groups (Rice’s group included). Through a close look into its performance at two milestones (determining the 3′-terminal sequence of HCV genome RNA and constructing an infectious molecular clone), we analyzed, from dimensions of technology stack, path dependence and goal setting, why Rice’s group leapfrogged its competitive peers.
作者简介
范筱斐
北京大学医学人文学院讲师，北京大学哲学系在读博士。主要研究领域：科学技术史、科学技术哲学。
E-mail: fanxiaofei@bjmu.edu.cn
FAN Xiaofei
Lecturer at School of Health Humanities, Peking University, and Ph.D. student at Department of Philosophy, Peking University. His research focuses on history of science and technology and philosophy of science and technology.
E-mail: fanxiaofei@bjmu.edu.cn
周 程
北京大学哲学系教授、医学人文学院院长。国务院学位委员会科学技术史学科评议组成员。日本东京大学研究生院综合文化研究科交叉科学系（科学史与科学哲学研究室）博士。研究领域为科学社会史、科学技术与社会、创新管理与科技政策。代表性著作有《科技创新典型案例分析》《「科学」の中日源流考》等。
E-mail: zhoucheng@pku.edu.cn
ZHOU Cheng
Professor at Department of Philosophy and Dean of School of Health Humanities, Peking University. He received his Ph.D. at Department of Multi-Disciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo. He is member of the Discipline Appraisal Group for History of Science and Technology at the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, China. His research focuses on social history of science, science, technology and society studies, innovation management, and science and technology policy. His major works include Science, Technology and Innovation: Typical Case Study and A study of the origin of Science in China.
E-mail: zhoucheng@pku.edu.cn
北京大学医学人文学院讲师，北京大学哲学系在读博士。主要研究领域：科学技术史、科学技术哲学。
E-mail: fanxiaofei@bjmu.edu.cn
FAN Xiaofei
Lecturer at School of Health Humanities, Peking University, and Ph.D. student at Department of Philosophy, Peking University. His research focuses on history of science and technology and philosophy of science and technology.
E-mail: fanxiaofei@bjmu.edu.cn
周 程
北京大学哲学系教授、医学人文学院院长。国务院学位委员会科学技术史学科评议组成员。日本东京大学研究生院综合文化研究科交叉科学系（科学史与科学哲学研究室）博士。研究领域为科学社会史、科学技术与社会、创新管理与科技政策。代表性著作有《科技创新典型案例分析》《「科学」の中日源流考》等。
E-mail: zhoucheng@pku.edu.cn
ZHOU Cheng
Professor at Department of Philosophy and Dean of School of Health Humanities, Peking University. He received his Ph.D. at Department of Multi-Disciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo. He is member of the Discipline Appraisal Group for History of Science and Technology at the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, China. His research focuses on social history of science, science, technology and society studies, innovation management, and science and technology policy. His major works include Science, Technology and Innovation: Typical Case Study and A study of the origin of Science in China.
E-mail: zhoucheng@pku.edu.cn
